Last year, I signed up a newsletter which related to Chemistry when I was assigned to summarize an article about chemistry. Even though my expertise is no longer in Chemistry, which I hasn’t been one neither, it’s still enjoyable to “keep in touch” with something that you are familiar with. Today's post is about “Leaf Colour Chemistry”. It’s an article which I want to post it up here, as it's related to leaf! Enjoy! I will include the link to the website itself. For those who has interest, you may visit the site for more related articles!
http://chemistry.about.com/b/a/257607.htm
photo of yellow leaf :
http://photos.adversaria.us/2005_fall/campus_colors/14_yellow_leaf_resized.jpg.html
Leaf Colour Chemistry
Leaves change colors with the seasons. At the peak of summer, leaves appear green because chlorophyll is the predominant pigment and reflects back the color green. However, other pigments are present in plants, with different colors. When less chlorophyll is produced or when leaves die, you start to see these pigments more. Also, plants start to produce more non-chlorophyll pigments in response to chemical changes in the cells. Seasonal color change is caused by changes in length of the days, the temperature, and soil chemistry.
You can see the different colors in the leaves, but you can also use a separation technique, like paper chromatography to see the differences in the quantities of pigments. Paper chromatography isn't complicated or expensive. All you need is a coffee filter, alcohol, and leaves. A blender is nice to have, but not absolutely necessary.
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