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Leaves green
Why are leaves green?
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Leaves are green due to the presence of a pigment called chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll is the primary pigment found in the chloroplasts of plant cells. Chloroplasts are organelles within plant cells that contain the chlorophyll and facilitate photosynthesis.
Chlorophyll is a green-colored molecule that strongly absorbs red and blue wavelengths of light, while reflecting green wavelengths. This selective absorption and reflection of light is what gives leaves their distinctive green appearance.
The green color of chlorophyll dominates over other pigments like carotenoids, which are present but masked during the growing season. In the fall, as daylight hours decrease, the leaves stop producing chlorophyll. This allows the other pigments like carotenoids to become visible, leading to the vibrant red, orange and yellow fall foliage colors.
So in summary, leaves appear green because the chlorophyll molecules within their cells preferentially absorb red and blue light, while reflecting the green wavelengths that our eyes perceive as the green color of leaves.