Many microorganisms found on environmental surfaces are pigmented.Of what possible advantage is the pigment?

Answer 1

Microorganisms such as cyano bacteria are pigmented as so they can absorb different frequencies of light and use it as energy.

Answer 2

Pigment I know has to do with an organisms interaction with the sun. The color spectrum, which pigments control in the outer layer of an organism that is exposed to the sun, has different effects depending on what color it is. For instance, white reflects heat and light while black retains heat and light. Different colors on the light spectrum have differnt wave lenths and different effects with heat, energy, etc.

I'm not a physicist so I don't know all the ins and outs, but I know that pigment in biology has to do with a particular bio orgasmisms need to use the color resulting from the pigment as it relates to its sun exposure. I have seen some documentatries about dark skin people and their likelyhood of skin cancer from the ultra violet rays of the sun and so forth, also fair skin people get sun burned easier because of a lack of pigment. That is the general area of your answer, it has to with the pigment's orgasmism interaction with light, ultraviolet rays, and the sun.