Beautiful Fall Maple Leaves
by Robert Bales
Title
Beautiful Fall Maple Leaves
Artist
Robert Bales
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
Red maple leaves must mean it is Fall.
Autumn color signals the onset of senescence that leads to dormancy, a process that allows trees and hardy perennial plants to survive the cold temperatures and meager daylight of winter in extra-tropical climates. Cellular bodies, called chloroplasts, toil inside leaves all summer long, capturing sunlight in green pigment called chlorophyll to combine with water and carbon dioxide to make sugars -- carbohydrates that power the tree’s respiratory system. In autumn, chlorophyll production dwindles as the number of daylight hours falls below 12, causing leaf colors to change about the same time across latitudes regardless of other factors. The departure of chlorophyll reveals yellow, orange or brown pigments, called cartenoids, in the cells. Other red, purple or blue pigments, called anthocyanins, rush in to fill the void, consuming excess carbohydrates and providing leaves with a brightness known as peak color.
From SFGATE
Uploaded
October 20th, 2017
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