Why do yellow and orange colors appear in some autumn leaves?
Some autumn colors were present in the leaf before autumn arrived. As green chlorophyll breaks down, yellow and orange pigments can become easier to see, revealing a change in what dominates the leaf's appearance.
Questions you could explore
- Why does this explanation differ from the formation of some red pigments?
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- U.S. National Park ServiceWhy Do Leaves Change in the Fall?
The National Park Service explains chlorophyll loss and autumn pigments; the yellow-and-orange mechanism is the focus here.
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