By: TYSAI MARTINEZ
Staff Writer
As of September 22, Fall has officially arrived! Along with Fall comes cooler weather and leaves that fall onto the ground, waiting for us to step on them to hear that satisfying “crunch” sound. Soon we’ll see leaves turn into beautiful yellows, oranges, and even reds. But have you ever actually wondered why leaves change colors in the fall?
The reason is mainly due to the change in temperature and the change in the amount of daylight. With the decrease in daylight, the chlorophyll—a green pigment that plants use in photosynthesis to create food—in the plant begins to break down. As the chlorophyll breaks down, the green pigment breaks down as well. Left behind and now visible are the orange and yellow pigments that were once covered by the green pigment in the summer. Additionally, low temperatures at night can cause sugar to become trapped inside the leaves. In turn, this can then cause the production of anthocyanin pigments. These pigments are responsible for producing colors such as purple and red.
