In the fall, leaves change color because the green pigment, chlorophyll, starts to disappear. When that happens, other pigments like orange and yellow show up, just like when you take off a green shirt and reveal a colorful outfit underneath. Some trees even make extra red pigments called anthocyanins, which is why some leaves turn bright red or purple.
Examples
- A leaf turns orange because it shows its hidden yellow pigments when green fades away.
- Some leaves turn red because they make extra red color during the fall.
- A maple tree's leaves might show more red than a birch tree’s, depending on their pigment levels.
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See also
- How Do Birds Migrate So Far?
- What Causes Hiccups?
- How Can a Single Seed Grow into a Tree?
- Why Do People Have Different Shapes of Faces?
- Why Do We Blink?