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How can a gas make bananas ripen?

Green bananas can turn yellow in response to ethylene, a gas that acts as a plant hormone. Commercial ripening makes this invisible signal especially tangible. Explore which changes it helps coordinate and why temperature, variety, and storage conditions affect the result.

3–5 min

Questions you could explore

  • Which changes in a ripening banana are coordinated by ethylene?
  • How do commercial handlers manage temperature and exposure, and why would a home fruit bowl behave differently?

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How can a gas make bananas ripen? | Speech Topic | speaking.app