Colored Leaves and Their Varied Structures (BioE80 Spr2015)
May 26, 2015 • 10:00 PM UTC
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Scott
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I have always admired the bountiful color of leaves, and thought it would be interesting to see how leaves of different colors appear on a micro level. Specifically, as an explorer, I wanted to know if the microstructure of the leaves differed when they were colored differently, and if the difference in structure showed some sort of direct correlation to the color.
Setting out to answer my question, I began gathering leaves of different colors. I was looking out especially for leaves that had several different colors because comparing the different colored parts of the same leaf would provide for good variable control, allowing me to directly observe how color varied the leaf’s micro appearance.
Examining the leaves, I noticed that the greener the leaves, the better structured the leaves were; while the green sections of leaves had well defined edges between the colored regions and the clear regions—the veins—, the yellow, orange, and red colored sections lacked these defined structural edges. Either the yellow, red, and orange compartments contained few veins, or they lost their integrity, overtaking the vein regions and making the veins indiscernible.
Examining the leaves, I noticed that the greener the leaves, the better structured the leaves were; while the green sections of leaves had well defined edges between the colored regions and the clear regions—the veins—, the yellow, orange, and red colored sections lacked these defined structural edges. Either the yellow, red, and orange compartments contained few veins, or they lost their integrity, overtaking the vein regions and making the veins indiscernible.
From this I got the impression that leaf color, structure, and health are directly related. The green sections are well structured and thus healthy, while the red/yellow/orange sections are caused by the “unhealthy” deterioration of something inside the leaf cells.
I wonder what this deteriorating material could be, and what could cause it to deteriorate . . .
Contributor: Scott M.
I wonder what this deteriorating material could be, and what could cause it to deteriorate . . .
Contributor: Scott M.
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