Why do leaves change color in autumn? At that time we have the feeling that the landscape was sad, all because all the green is covered with other shades. Is nature melancholy? Of course not, everything is explained by the reactions that occur in vegetation.
Tree leaves are made up of tiny particles containing a green pigment known as chlorophyll. This pigment is responsible for the natural green color of plants, and more! Chlorophyll, together with sunlight, makes the photosynthesis work carried out by plants possible.
The change in leaf color only occurs in autumn, as it is precisely at this time of year that the amount of light emitted by the sun decreases. As photosynthesis is compromised due to the lack of light, the leaves understand that they no longer need the green pigment and discard it. Chlorophyll is then gradually replaced by substitute colors such as red, orange, yellow, brown, etc. The new color gives a different touch to nature, and the aforementioned colors prevail throughout the vegetation, characterizing the arrival of autumn.
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
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Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "Autumn Leaves, Why the Color"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/folhas-outono-porque-cor.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.