The mystery of the blue sheen on the leaves of some begonias and have found that their chloroplasts have evolved a nanoscale light-trapping structure to help them survive in the darkness of the forest floor
It works by increasing light capture at the predominantly green wavelengths available in shade conditions, and by directly enhancing quantum yield by 5–10% under low-light conditions. Here is the article:
Photonic multilayer structure of Begonia chloroplasts enhances photosynthetic efficiency, Nature Plants, Photonic multilayer structure of Begonia chloroplasts enhances photosynthetic efficiency Plants 2, Article number: 16162 (2016)
doi:10.1038/nplants.2016.162
It should be understood that more than 99% of the absorbed light energy by phototropic organisms is dissipated directly into heat; that's why plants constantly transpire. Transpiration is the dominant force driving Earth's water cycle (see: Michaelian, 2012; Jasechko et al., 2013). Productive photo-chemistry uses only about 0.1% of available free energy in sunlight (Gates, 1980). Life is an energy-dissipating process, not an energy-storing process. The modern idea that the efficiency and productivity of photosynthesis can be "redesigned' to improve agricultural yields is a myth.
Michaelian, K.: HESS Opinions “Biological catalysis of the hydrological cycle: life’s thermodynamic function”, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 2629–2645, doi:10.5194/hess-16-2629-2012, 2012a.
Jasechko, S., Sharp, Z. D., Gibson, J. J., Birks, S.. J., Yi, Y., and Fawcett, P. J.: Terrestrial water fluxes dominated by transpiration, Nature, 496, 347–350, 2013.
Gates, D. M.: Biophysical Ecology, Springer-Verlag, New York Inc., 1980.
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/wolfson-bioimaging/news/2016/the-houseplant-with-a-blueprint-for-improving-energy-harvesting.html
http://myclevermind.com/the-houseplant-with-a-blueprint-for-improving-energy-harvesting/
https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1604&context=etd
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