Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?
In: 0
All leafs have various chemicals, pigments, that give them colour. One of those is chlorophyll. Its the green pigment. Chlorophyll is extremely important, because it allows photosynthesis, the asborbtion of light production of energy for plants. But during autumn and winter, there is not enough light for plants to do photosynthesis. So the amount of chlorophyll produced lowers. The remaining pigments give the leaves the new colours, when the chlorophyll green disappears.
Leaves contain pigments. They all have important roles, and they’re also responsible for the changing color of leaves. There’s a LOT of plant pigments, but the main ones include: Chlorophylls (green), Xanthophyll (yellow), Carotenoids (orange), and Anthocyanins (red).
Chlorophyll is the culprit for the typical green color of leaves. It’s found in the chloroplasts, which help plants make food from *sunlight.* When it’s sunny and warm, the chlorophyll works really hard and never stops as long as there’s sunlight. This is why leaves are green in the summer.
But when the days get shorter and colder in the fall, the trees sense it’s time to get ready for winter. The lessened sunlight tells leaves to stop making as much chlorophyll as they did before to save their energy. Making chlorophyll is HARD WORK, so making more when there’s less sunlight isn’t worth it. It’s like when you stop making too much effort because there’s no reciprocation at all so you save your energy for something better…or stuff like that. Or, when it’s nighttime and you’re out of energy so you fall asleep and use your energy for the next day.
So, when that happens, the other pigments, like reds and yellows, that were always there but overshadowed by the green chlorophyll, get a chance to show up and make leaves pretty in the fall 😀
Latest Answers