Which statement best explains why leaves change color in the fall? Chlorophyll changes its structure and begins to absorb green light and reflect red/orange/ yellow light. Green chlorophyll pigments break down, and the red/yellow/orange carotenoid pigments become visible. Carotenoid pigments increase in the fall to capture a changing visible light spectrum. Chlorophyll pigments begin to absorb more of the red/orange/yellow visible light spectrum because the plants need more light for photosynthesis.NextNot
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Why do leaves change color in the fall? Green pigments break down and no longer mask the color of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll breaks down and no longer masks the colors of other pigments. Red- and yellow-colored pigments grow and mask green-colored chlorophyll. Green-colored chlorophyll breaks down and turns red and yellow.
Adi S.
A basic explanation for why plants change color in the fall is that: A. red and yellow pigments are produced that cover up the green chlorophyll B. red and yellow pigments allow plants to photosynthesize throughout the winter as opposed to the green pigments used in summer. C. as plants re-absorb the nutrients used in green pigments associated with photosynthesis, yellow and red pigments remain visible. D. insects eat all of the green pigments as leaves become less defended by secondary metabolites toward the end of the season. E. none of the above
Joy C.
In autumn, chlorophyll is degraded in the leaves of deciduous trees. Why do the leaves change color to shades of yellow, orange, or red? Sugars from sap fill the leaves prior to winter. Degraded chlorophyll changes into many other colors. In the absence of photosynthesis, the leaves produce energy exclusively by aerobic cellular respiration. Other pigments such as carotenoids are still present in the leaves.
Joanna Q.
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