Coloration

Coloration refers to the color properties of a material or organism as determined by how it interacts with visible light. Coloration can arise from pigments, which absorb certain wavelengths and reflect others, or from structural coloration, where microscopic physical structures reflect, refract, or interfere with light to produce color. Pigment-based colors are typically stable chemical compounds, while structural colors result from light interactions such as interference or scattering.

In biology, coloration serves multiple functions. Camouflage or cryptic coloration helps hide organisms from predators, while aposematic coloration signals that a species is unpalatable or dangerous. Mimicry allows one species to resemble another with different ecological roles. Color can also play a role in mate attraction and social signaling. Coloration is dynamic in many species, changing with age, season, diet, health, or environmental conditions. In animals, chromatophores, iridophores, and other specialized cells enable rapid color change in response to surroundings or mood, as seen in cephalopods and some fish.

In plants and animals, pigments include chlorophylls, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, among others, contributing to photosynthesis, attraction of pollinators, and protection from light damage. Coloration is also central to chemistry and industry: dyes and pigments impart color to textiles, inks, plastics, and foods. Color measurement relies on spectrophotometry and colorimetry, using standardized color spaces to quantify hue, saturation, and brightness.