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The Kid Should See This • Smart videos for curious minds of all ages
The Kid Should See This

The Real Reason Leaves Change Color In the Fall – MinuteEarth

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Every autumn, green chlorophyll fades from the leaves of deciduous trees, revealing the underlying reds, oranges, and yellows. But why does the chlorophyll fade in the first place? Recycling! MinuteEarth explains.

carotenoids within leaves
autumn leaves
Related listening from VPR’s But Why? podcast for kids:

Watch this next: How do trees survive winter? Plus a tip from MinuteEarth:

Want to learn more about the topic in this week’s video? Here are some keywords to get your googling started: Leaf senescence, chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin.

Also: Try this excellent Leaf Color Chromatography Experiment.

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