An absorption spectrum is obtained by shining white light through a dense gas. While most light passes through the dense gas, certain specific wavelengths (that correspond to the energy gaps in the gas atom’s quantized energy structure) are absorbed. The resulting spectrum is best described as dark lines in a continuous spectrum.
In this comic, only the bananas are “absorbed” by the monkey, resulting in gaps in the “fruit spectrum”. Haha.
xmComic 