10/06/2023
FUN FACT FRIDAY:
Do you know why leaves change color in the fall? 🍂🍁
In leaves are cells called chloroplasts. Chloroplast contains chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a green pigment which captures sunlight and turns it into energy, a process called photosynthesis.
As the days get shorter (less sunlight) and the temperatures begin to drop, the chlorophyll in the leaves begin to breakdown and other colored pigments yellow (xanthophyll) and orange (carotene) are visible.
At the base of the leaf stalk is an abcision zone. The abscision zones two functions are to enable the leaf to drop, and protect the stem (from where the leaf fell) from pathogen entry. As the leaf prepares to separate from the branch, tannins and sugars are trapped and can form anthocyanin, creating a red or purple color. This is only present in certain species. The intensity of the red depends on the amount of sunlight received, which is why you may have one side of a tree red while the other side is more yellow.
Trees that drop their leaves every year are called deciduous. Trees that hold their leaves or needles for more than a year are called evergreens.
