The data presented in the table outlines the absorbance and transmittance of light at various wavelengths through a coleus leaf, revealing critical insights into the leaf's photosynthetic activity and pigmentation properties. Notably, the absorbance measurements indicate that the coleus leaf exhibits its highest absorbance at 450 nm (violet light), with an absorbance value of 0.66. This suggests that the leaf efficiently captures violet light, which is important for the photosynthetic process. As we move to higher wavelengths, absorbance decreases significantly; for instance, at 500 nm (blue light), the absorbance drops to 0.20, and further to 0.081 at 550 nm (green light). The low absorbance values for green and yellow wavelengths indicate that the coleus leaf has evolved to reflect rather than absorb these colors, which aligns with the common observation that many plants appear green due to the presence of chlorophyll that absorbs blue and red light more effectively. The moderate absorbance in the orange (600 nm) and red (650 nm) ranges further suggests that the coleus leaf can still utilize some of this light for photosynthesis, although less efficiently than violet and blue light.
Transmittance measurements complement the absorbance data by showing how much light passes through the leaf. The high transmittance values, particularly in the green (83.1%) and yellow (81.9%) regions, indicate that the leaf allows a significant proportion of these wavelengths to pass through without being absorbed, reinforcing the idea that coleus leaves are adapted to reflect green light. This characteristic is not merely a physical property; it ties back into the plant's evolutionary adaptations to maximize photosynthetic efficiency under varying light conditions. In essence, the coleus leaf appears to be finely tuned to extract energy from specific wavelengths (primarily in the violet and blue regions) while being less effective at capturing energy from the green and yellow wavelengths, which suggest an ecological adaptation to its environment. Overall, the data elucidate the coleus leaf’s functional morphology and its role in photosynthesis, contributing to our understanding of how plants have adapted to their surroundings for optimal light capture.