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Chlorophyll gives plants their green colour. There are other pigments in the leaves too, such as xanthophylls (yellows) and carotenoids (yellows, Oranges and reds). These pigments are also used in photosynthesis but occur in lesser quantities than the green chlorophyll. The combinations of the different pigments make different shades of green.

Now the reason that plants look green is that they are trying to obtain energy from the sun using a particular part of the light spectrum, mainly the red and infra red wavelengths. If you remember from your physics classes the colour you see is the colour that is reflected from the object, the other colours are absorbed. So in the case of green plants, the green wavelength is reflected and all the other colours, especially reds and blues, are absorbed to drive the energy cycle in the plants.

Chlorophyll does best in the red (around 670 nm) and blue (around 500 nm) areas of the spectrum. That's why many plants have the additional pigments (xanthophylls and carotenoids) called accessory pigments that feed light energy to chlorophyll "a" from light. Chlorophyll is almost useless in the green part of the spectrum, and doesn't absorb that colour. That is why most plants are green.

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What green colored chemical is removed from the chloroplasts in leaves causing the leaves to lose their green color in fall?

The green colored chemical removed from chloroplasts in leaves in fall is chlorophyll. As chlorophyll breaks down, the other pigments present in the leaves become more visible, leading to the variety of colors seen in autumn foliage.


What gives a plant is green color?

When chlorophyll absorbs light, it aborbs all colors except green. Green light is reflected as the green color seen in leaves.


Which part of a green plant would lose the most chloroplasts as summer turns to fall?

The leaves of a green plant would typically lose the most chloroplasts as summer turns to fall. This is because chloroplasts are primarily located in the mesophyll cells of leaves, which are responsible for photosynthesis. As the days get shorter and temperatures drop in the fall, leaves begin to senesce and chloroplasts degrade or are broken down.


Why aren't leaves green in the fall?

In the fall, leaves stop producing chlorophyll, the pigment that gives them their green color. As the chlorophyll breaks down, other pigments such as carotenoids (yellow and orange) and anthocyanins (red and purple) become more prominent, resulting in the vibrant colors we see in autumn leaves.


Can green leaves absorb lots of colours except green?

Yes, green leaves absorb light from various parts of the spectrum, primarily red and blue wavelengths, while reflecting green light, which is why they appear green to our eyes. Chlorophyll, the pigment in leaves, plays a crucial role in this process by capturing light energy for photosynthesis. Consequently, while green leaves can absorb many colors, they do not utilize the green wavelengths effectively, leading to their characteristic color.

Related Questions

Does a magnolia have ever-green leaves?

No, it drops its leaves in winter. BTW no leaves are ever-green: they all fall off sometime. But some trees of bushes are evergreens. They remain green in winter.


Why does the green in leaves vanish?

In the fall when the plant stops making chlorophyll.


What green colored chemical is removed from the chloroplasts in leaves causing the leaves to lose their green color in fall?

The green colored chemical removed from chloroplasts in leaves in fall is chlorophyll. As chlorophyll breaks down, the other pigments present in the leaves become more visible, leading to the variety of colors seen in autumn foliage.


Why are the fall colors not green?

The leaves are dead because the tree quits feeding food to them so they fall off, thats why they are not green because they are dead


Why leaves appear green in photosynthesis?

The pigment responsible for photosynthesis (Chlorophyll) reflects the green wave length of sunlight when light fall on the leaf. That is why leaves appear green in the presence of light.


Why does leaves turn so colorful in the fall and in the spring they are just plain green?

because the leaves get really old


Why do leaves of deciduous forest fall in the autum?

The tree eventually shuts down chlorophyll (green) production in the fall


What colors are leaves at the beginning of fall?

Leaves generally go from green to brown. Passing yellow and then orange phases in the middle.


What gives a plant is green color?

When chlorophyll absorbs light, it aborbs all colors except green. Green light is reflected as the green color seen in leaves.


Leaves appear green because the green portion of the light that strikes them is?

Chlorophyll absorbs most wavelengths of light except green. Because chlorophyll cannot absorb this wavelength, it is reflected, giving leaves a green appearance. So your answer is reflected.


What pigments do leafs contain?

All of the pigments except for green. Leaves are green because that is the only color not absorbed and therefore is reflected.


Is an oak tree an evergreen tree?

No, it is not as it looses its' leaves in the fall. It is not green year round.