As a result of this, other compounds present in the leaves can come to the fore, and affect the perceived colouration.Ĭarotenoids and flavonoids are both large families of chemical compounds. For the production of chlorophyll, leaves require warm temperatures and sunlight – as summer begins to fade, so too does the amount of light, and thus chlorophyll production slows, and the existing chlorophyll decomposes. This chemical is contained within chloroplasts in the leaf cells, and is an essential component of the photosynthesis process via which plants use energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars. This leads to the appearance of colour.Ĭhlorophyll is the chemical compound responsible for the usual, green colouration of most leaves. A large amount of conjugation in a molecule can lead to them being able to absorb wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum. The colour causing molecules in autumn leaves contain systems of alternating double and single bonds – this is referred to as conjugation. Whilst this change may outwardly seem like a simple one, the many vivid colours are a result of a range of chemical compounds, a selection of which are detailed here.īefore discussing the different compounds that lead to the colours of autumn leaves, it’s worth discussing how the colours of these compounds originate in the first place. To do this we need to examine the chemical bonds they contain – these can be either single bonds, which consist of one shared pair of electrons between adjacent atoms, or double bonds, which consist of two shared pairs of electrons between adjacent atoms. With autumn looming on the horizon, the leaves on some trees have already begun the transition towards the vibrant hues of autumn.
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