Signs of nutrient deficiency in plants:
- nitrogen- pale green color lower leaves, the leaves are small, the stem is thin, fragile, yellowing and blanching of the leaf begins with the veins and adjacent areas; on a leaf that has turned yellow from a lack of nitrogen, there are no green veins; Acidic soils can increase nitrogen starvation.
- phosphorus- dark green, bluish color of leaves, growth slows down, leaf death increases, flowering and ripening are delayed, with severe starvation brown or red leaves appear brown spots turning into holes; most often found on the lungs acidic soils with low organic content.
- potassium- yellowing, browning of leaf tips, curling of leaf edges towards the bottom, brown spotting develops, especially along the edge of the leaf, the veins seem immersed in the leaf tissue; signs of potassium starvation are clearly expressed on strongly acidic soils and with excessive application of calcium and magnesium.
- magnesium- lightening of the leaves, spots of white, pale yellow appear between the veins, color change to yellow, red, purple, while the veins and adjacent parts remain green, the tip of the leaf and edges are bent, wrinkled, the leaf takes on a curved shape; clearly manifests itself on light acidic soils and with excessive application of potassium.
- calcium - necrosis (death) of the edges of leaves, apical buds, roots, leaves are chlorotic, curved, their edges curl upward, leaves irregular shape, the edges may have a brown scorch; deficiency is often caused by excess potassium supplementation.
- gland- uniform chlorosis between the veins, pale green, yellow color of the leaves without tissue death; most often occurs due to excessive liming of the soil.
- boron- death of apical buds, roots, leaves, falling of ovaries, young leaves are small, pale, severely deformed;
- copper- growth retardation, death of the shoot apex, awakening of lateral buds. The leaves are variegated, pale green with brown spots, limp and ugly.
- manganese- chlorosis between leaf veins - on upper leaves yellowish-green or yellowish-green appear between the veins brown spots, the veins remain green, giving the leaf a variegated appearance. IN further sections chlorotic tissues die, and spots appear various shapes and coloring. Signs of deficiency appear primarily on young leaves and primarily at the base of the leaves, rather than at the tips as with potassium deficiency.
- sulfur- slower growth of stems in thickness, pale green leaves without tissue death. Signs of sulfur deficiency are similar to signs of nitrogen deficiency; they appear primarily on young plants.
- zinc- small, wrinkled, narrow leaves, speckled due to interveinal chlorosis, thin, short shoots, characteristic “rosette”, branches with short internodes.
Signs of excess nutrients in plants:
- With excess nitrogen- the leaves become dark green, large and juicy, flowering (and ripening of fruits in lemon, orange, etc.) is delayed. In succulent plants (such as cacti, aloe, etc.), excess nitrogen causes thinning of the skin, which bursts, causing the plant to die or leaving ugly scars.
- With excess phosphorus, which is quite rare, the absorption of iron and zinc in the plant is impaired - interveinal chlorosis appears on the leaves.
- With excess potassium One can also note a slowdown in growth. At the same time, the leaves acquire a darker shade, and new leaves become smaller. Excess potassium leads to difficulty absorbing elements such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, boron, etc.
- With excess sulfur the leaves gradually turn yellow at the edges and shrink, turning inward. Then they turn brown and die. Sometimes the leaves take on a lilac-brown hue rather than yellow.
- Excess calcium leads to disruption of the absorption of the same elements - nitrogen, potassium, as well as boron and iron. Which manifests itself as interveinal chlorosis of leaves and the appearance of light, shapeless spots of dying leaf tissue.
- With excess magnesium, the roots of the plant begin to die, the plant stops absorbing calcium, and symptoms occur that are characteristic of calcium deficiency.
- Excess iron This happens quite rarely, and the growth of the root system and the entire plant stops. The leaves take on a darker shade. If, for some reason, the excess of iron turns out to be very strong, then the leaves begin to die and fall off without any visible changes. With an excess of iron, the absorption of phosphorus and manganese is difficult, so signs of a deficiency of these elements may also appear.
- Excess boron starts with the old lower leaves. At the same time, small brown spots appear on the leaves, gradually increasing in size and leading to the death of leaf tissue.
- Excess manganese, in contrast to its deficiency, appears more often on acidic soils. As a result of an excess of manganese in plant cells, the chlorophyll content decreases, so the symptoms will be the same as with a lack of magnesium, i.e. Interveinal chlorosis begins, primarily from old leaves, and brown necrotic spots appear. The leaves wrinkle and fly off.
- Excess copper is also extremely harmful to the plant. It manifests itself in the fact that the plant’s development is inhibited, brown spots appear on the leaves, and they die. The process begins with the lower, older leaves.
- Excess molybdenum leads to impaired absorption of copper, with corresponding signs of deficiency of this element.
Signs of excess minerals are as follows:
Drooping leaves;
- White crust on the surface of the soil and the outer wall of the ceramic pot;
- Dry brown spots on the leaves, dry leaf edges;
- In summer, plant growth stops, and in winter you can see weak, elongated stems.
Why are the leaves green? Quite rarely, people wonder why the leaves have such a bright color. green color. And only a few are able to answer such a question. It’s very sad, because human nature is so tripled that we don’t pay attention to all the beautiful things that nature gives us. And if people admired her beauty more often, they would solve such a riddle for themselves!
Why are plants green?
It is quite simple to explain this color on the leaves: the plant contains chlorophyll. This component absorbs energy from rays in the violet and red parts of the spectrum. This happens when it is exposed to active light, and this subsequently leads to a bright reflection of a green tint. Therefore, the human eye already perceives all trees in summer exclusively as green!
In the autumn season sunlight becomes an order of magnitude smaller. This fact prevents the previous natural recharge of plants from the sun's rays. After all, in the summer on clear days they actively scoop it up. Therefore, the leaves turn yellow when cloudy weather prevails. And more often this happens in the fall.
According to physical laws, they enter into nuclear reaction. It occurs between the synthesis of helium and hydrogen. In this case, light quanta are released, which are called photons. They are special electromagnetic pulses that have no charge. They also have no mass. But the photons remain very important element. They are necessary for the normal interaction between molecules, various atoms, and cells functioning inside a living organism.
Each shade that the human eye perceives has a certain wavelength of light and corresponding impulses. Green light is capable of transmitting large impulses, so plants do not refuse it.
However, it is worth understanding that trees absorb about 80% of red and blue shades. And the green color of the species is due to the fact that this color has excellent penetrating ability, which no other shade can boast of.
But trees appear green only to those with an imperfect visual analyzer. If we look at this issue even deeper, we can find out that waves of completely different colors pass through the leaves - yellow and blue. They adjust to each other, resulting in mutual absorption color shades special pigments.
For example, pigments such as anthochlor, carotene and xanthophyll absorb blue photons. But they reflect the rays in red. But chlorophyll and anthocyanins reflect color rays sea wave, however, they absorb yellow-red shades. As a result of this “combination” of pigments, plants with an emerald tint are obtained.
Explanation of a phenomenon without scientific terminology
If children ask a question about why the leaves on the trees are green in the summer, but in the fall they are already yellow, you should not answer trivially - this is how nature works. This is exactly what parents often do, not knowing how to succinctly and clearly answer such a question. And they need to tell their child that in warm time year, solar activity is at a high level.
As a result, any plants remain not deprived of light. And if they receive sufficient nourishment from light, they are perceived by humans exclusively with a green tint. But in the fall the sun appears less often, so the leaves do not receive enough energy necessary for them. Therefore, over time, they first turn red and then acquire a pronounced yellow tint.
This answer will be understandable even for a small child. Explaining to him about this natural phenomenon using scientific terminology is hardly appropriate, since children do not even know about the existence of such words. And if you explain it briefly to them as described above, the child will definitely understand it!
Why do green leaves fall from trees?
For some people it may seem strange phenomenon when the still green leaves fall from the trees. After all, autumn is still far away and they haven’t even turned red yet! Isn't this event premature?
Of course, such an action is not entirely natural and there must be a reasonable explanation for it. Experienced gardeners note the following main reasons that lead to the fall of green foliage:
- soil and atmospheric drought. If there has been no precipitation for a long time and the plants have not received sufficient moisture, this makes it difficult for trees with root roots to grow. surface system. After all, they do not have long taproots. Therefore, they are not able to extract moisture from the bowels of the earth on their own. Air temperatures exceeding 30 degrees also have a detrimental effect on them;
- prolonged stagnation of water in the place where the roots are located. In this situation, due to a lack of oxygen in the soil, the trees do not absorb water. A sign of this may be the fact that their tops are dry;
- winter damage to wood. Green leaves on trees subject to this negative impact on them bloom only due to moisture in the plant tissues. And if it ends, then the foliage, while still green, falls off prematurely;
- development of fungal diseases. If the leaves are exposed to various fungal diseases, they dry out prematurely. First, red or brown spots form on them, and after a while the affected areas crumble;
- tree crown eclipse. If the plant is in a dark place where they penetrate in small quantities Sun rays, often the leaves also fall off while still green;
- lack of phosphorus and nitrogen. Cracks appear on the fruits of a tree suffering from this, and the leaves fall off even in summer time of the year;
- the appearance of pear mites. You need to get rid of it by spraying plants with colloidal sulfur or a special preparation fufanon-nova;
- leaf damage powdery mildew. They become inhibited in their development, fold along the main vein in the shape of a boat and fall off prematurely;
- lack of calcium in the soil itself. In this situation, the buds and shoots die, and the leaves fall off prematurely.
There are a lot of factors that cause green leaves to fall off from tree crowns. And if a person who is engaged in gardening has discovered this problem, he should seek help from a competent specialist who can not only determine the cause of such a negative phenomenon, but also successfully cope with it!
It can be quite problematic to tear off any green leaf from the stem. But no one thinks about it. Many consider this issue unworthy of study. But there is one explanation for this. The leaves are saturated with a large number of chloroplasts, as well as other substances. They are responsible for their development and growth. And so, when a person tries to tear a healthy green leaf from a stem, he discovers that this task is not as simple as it might seem at first glance.
But in the fall, when the foliage has already turned fairly yellow, it is much easier to tear it off the stem. After all, it already contains much less nutrients inside itself. And any blow of wind can strip the tree trunk of its next foliage, and this process will last until the plants are bare.
If the leaves have a pronounced emerald hue, then they receive quite a lot of nutrients. And this suggests that it is not so easy for a person to tear them off a tree. And the summer wind, no matter how strong it is, is also not able to cope with such a task, unless, of course, the plant is susceptible to some kind of ailment.
- premature death of leaves;
- red and yellow look much more impressive than green;
- Finding beautiful leaves that have already fallen from trees is much easier than picking them from the tree while still green.
Green leaves in the garden mean that all plants are developing well and are not getting sick. Therefore, if a summer resident sees trees in his garden in summer, dressed in green tones, he has no reason to worry. On the contrary, the fact of premature shedding of green leaves from fruit-bearing trees should cause concern.
Rice. 50. Leaf mosaic near an oak Fig. 49. Leaf mosaic of ivy Fig. 51. Leaf mosaic
black mulberry
Property of some wood breed - beautiful mosaic leaf arrangement - should be taken into account when selecting tree species for these purposes.
Very decorative, for example, is the leaf mosaic of ivy, grapes (various types), aristolochia, and actinidia.
Maples, especially small-leaved ones, with beautiful leaf patterns, are also distinguished by their expressive leaf mosaic: beautiful maple, field maple, palm maple, hornbeam, oak, large-leaved linden, white mulberry.
Rice. 49-51 illustrate leaf mosaics of some tree species.
LEAF COLOR
The color of leaves at different times of the year is of great importance when using tree plantings for decorative purposes.
Each type of woody plant has its own characteristic leaf color.
Normal leaf color woody plants- green of varying intensity and different shades (from light green to dark green).
The intensity of the green color of a leaf depends on the number and intensity of the color of chlorophyll grains in the leaf cells, and the shade of green color depends mainly on the nature of the leaf integumentary tissue: the smooth, shiny (glossy) surface of the leaf integumentary tissue (cuticle) enhances the intensity of the main green color of the leaf; on the contrary, a bluish or whitish waxy coating on the surface of the leaf gives the leaf a duller, matte tint.
Finally, in many tree species, outgrowths of cells in the form of fluffs or hairs are formed on the surface of the leaf from the integumentary tissue, which give the leaf a grayish-green or silvery-white hue.
The number and intensity of color of chlorophyll grains, as well as the nature of the outer cover of the leaf, in most cases are not the same on the upper and lower sides of the leaf.
Most often, the intensity of the green color is stronger on the upper side of the leaf, and the pubescence is stronger on the lower side of the leaf.
Therefore, in most tree species, the underside of the leaf is lighter in color than the top.
The color of leaves of tree species is subject to age and seasonal changes.
In all tree species, both deciduous and evergreen, and coniferous, young leaves at the very beginning of their development have a brighter light green (sometimes even yellowish-green) color, which in older ones that have completed their development
leaves turn green and dark green.
In the spring, new bright yellowish-green needles appear from the opened buds of the common spruce, which stand out in contrast against the background of the dark green old needles and give the tree a very elegant spring look.
The young leaves of birch, oak, maple, willow, and poplar differ in their bright fresh greenery from the darker leaves of the same species in the summer.
In some woody plants, young, just blossomed leaves have a very spectacular pinkish and reddish color, which, as the leaf develops, gradually turns into normal green (in the case of ginnala maple, red elderberry).
Lighter and brighter spring color of leaves, corresponding early period their development is observed in all tree species. This color is quickly replaced by a darker summer color that lasts until autumn.
In addition to light and bright spring leaf color, many deciduous tree species (and some conifers and evergreen deciduous trees) also exhibit bright autumn color.
Finally, in addition to the leaf color typical for each species with its age-related and seasonal changes, many types of tree species have varieties (forms) with varied leaf colors that differ very sharply from the typical color for a given species and do not undergo age-related or seasonal changes, for example blue and silvery form of prickly spruce, red-leaved form of pedunculate oak, etc.
From the above, the difficulty of systematizing the colors of leaves in tree species and constructing an appropriate classification that is theoretically justified and suitable for practical purposes is clear.
Keeping in mind primarily practical goals, we will consider separately following colors leaves of tree species:
1) typical (normal) summer for the main types of tree species;
2) autumn - the same species;
3) colored colors in varieties. The typical color of leaves in the main species of tree species, characteristic of them in the summer, can be presented in.
the following variety of colors and their shades.
a) LEAVES have a LIGHT GREEN COLOR:
deciduous trees - ailanthus, maakia (Amur acacia), Manchurian aralia, warty birch, paper birch, downy birch, bignonia catalpa, magnificent catalpa, ash maple, large-leaved linden, maklura, Berlin poplar, white mulberry;
deciduous shrubs - yellow acacia, tree hydrangea, paniculata hydrangea, pomegranate, golden honeysuckle, cinquefoil cinquefoil, Ptelea trifolia (elm), tree bladderwort, yellow rhododendron (Azalea pontica), rowanberry, golden currant, oak spirea , mock orange;
evergreen trees and shrubs - Siebold's aralia, pittosporum (resin seed) variegated, mastic pistachio;
coniferous trees - European and Siberian larches, Italian pine (pinia), Aleppo pine, Japanese pine, taxodium vulgaris (swamp cypress);
coniferous shrubs-biota (thuja) eastern, thuja occidentalis.
b) LEAVES have a GREEN COLOR:
deciduous trees - white acacia, sticky acacia, albizia (acacia) Lenko-ranskaya, bereka, bunduk, honey locust, common hornbeam, brittle willow, catalpa ovoid (Kaempfer's k.), field maple, eastern plane tree, balsam poplar, poplar fragrant, laurel poplar, black mulberry, Pennsylvania ash;
deciduous shrubs - amorpha, red elderberry, multi-flowered wisteria (wisteria), dog rose (rose hip);
evergreen trees and shrubs - gardenia, rich jasmine, camphor laurel, false camphor laurel, pittosporum Tobira;
coniferous trees - river cedar, large-fruited cypress, Lusitanian cypress, Japanese cryptomeria, yew-leaved yew, evergreen sequoia, Scots pine, giant thuja.
c) DARK GREEN LEAVES have: deciduous apricot trees
common, cherry plum, Amur velvet, oriental beech, forest beech (formerly common), black elderberry, common cherry, leafy elm, rough elm (mountain elm), common pear (forest), sessile oak (winter), horse chestnut, Norway maple, sycamore maple, small-leaved linden, Manchurian linden *, black alder *, black walnut, Canadian poplar, black poplar (sedge), Virginia bird cherry, Magaleb bird cherry (Magaleb cherry), common bird cherry *, bird cherry late, common ash;
deciduous shrubs - Japanese quince *, Thunberg barberry, warty euonymus, European euonymus, common privet, Siberian hawthorn, blue honeysuckle, dogwood, Imeretian buckthorn *, laxative buckthorn *, rugosa rose (rugosa), red sedum (red dogwood) , common lilac, spirea Vangutta;
deciduous climbers - Amur grapes, clematis violet, violet clematis, Virginia grapes;
evergreen trees and shrubs - Japanese euonymus (small-leaved form), shiny privet*, Japanese privet, Japanese viburnum, Chinese camellia, Japanese camellia, cherry laurel *, noble laurel *, grandiflora magnolia *, pontine rhododendron, cycad *, boxwood, tea bush *;
climbing evergreens - common ivy *, Colchis ivy *;
coniferous trees - Chilean araucaria *, common spruce, Siberian spruce, evergreen cypress (horizontal and pyramidal shape) *, Caucasian fir *, Numidian fir, black pine *, yew *;
coniferous shrubs - Cossack juniper *, mountain pine.
d) GRAY-GREEN OR SILVER-WHITE COLOR OF THE LEAVES have: deciduous trees - loaf pear, willow pear, white willow, goat willow, maple
silver, felt linden, white alder, gray walnut, aspen, round-leaved rowan, white poplar;
deciduous shrubs - David's buddleia (formerly variable), comb tree (tamarix), different types; Alberta honeysuckle, gray willow, pride viburnum, silver oleaster, angustifolia oleaster, edible oleaster, sea buckthorn, silver oleagin (chingil);
evergreen trees and shrubs - silver acacia, European olive, prickly elk, rosemary, feijoa, Japanese eriobothria (loquat);
coniferous trees - white spruce, prickly spruce (silver form), Atlas cedar (silver form), Weymouth pine, Himalayan pine, five-coniferous Mexican pine, Rumelian pine, Sabina pine.
e) BLUE-GREEN OR BLUE-GREEN LEAVES have:
deciduous trees - tulip tree;
deciduous shrubs - honeysuckle honeysuckle, mackerel;
evergreen trees and shrubs - Butia Bonetta (6. brazilian), butia capitata, butia hybrid, large-stemmed daphneleaf, magnolia virginiana (blue m.), stranvesia bluish, forest date, ash eucalyptus, armed erythea (blue palm);
coniferous trees - Engelmann spruce, Atlas cedar (blue form), Arizona cypress, McNab cypress, Lawson cypress, Japanese larch, single-color fir, gray sap (blue form).
When dividing the main types of woody plants used in green construction in Russia into groups based on leaf color, it must be borne in mind that the color of leaves is influenced by growing conditions. For example, in many tree species with a lack of iron in the soil, a lighter, sometimes yellow, color is observed (the phenomenon of so-called “chlorosis” of leaves). Excess lime in the soil has the same effect on some tree species.
AUTUMN LEAVE COLOR
Autumn leaf color is observed only in deciduous tree species and a few conifers.
In tree species it is extremely diverse: light yellow, yellow, red gold, orange, pink, red, brown of different shades, purple of different shades - to dark purple and almost black-violet.
Moreover, a wide variety of autumn leaf colors is observed not only in different tree species, but even in the same tree species.
Thanks to the bright color of the leaves in autumn, individual species in gardens, parks and natural forests stand out very clearly from the general mass of plantings.
The beauty of the autumn color of many tree species deserves careful study and use in the design and construction of gardens and parks.
Meanwhile, seasonal changes in the color of green spaces and, in particular, the effect of autumn color in park construction are often underestimated and therefore the selection of plant material in a seasonal aspect is usually not studied.
Attaching importance to the use of seasonal changes in the decorative effect of green spaces in park construction, we present below some materials that can be useful to the architect in developing compositions of tree species that can provide the greatest decorative effect in the fall.
Based on the variety of autumn leaf colors, tree species can be divided into the following two groups:
1) breeds in which all the leaves of plants of a given species in the fall have one dominant color, for example, yellow, red, brown of different shades that do not violate the dominant tone; a list of such breeds is given in table. 13;
2) breeds that have a variety of autumn colors leaves of plants of the same species; a list of these breeds is given in table. 14.
As can be seen from table. 14, in many tree species that are characterized by multi-colored autumn leaf color, the latter can be very diverse. There are from three to seven or more different colors of leaves on the same specimen (and sometimes on the same leaf).
Of all the deciduous tree species, the ambergris tree is the richest in autumn leaf color (Fig. 52).
In autumn, this is the most spectacular tree in our southern parks, attracting attention with its very diverse and brightly colored leaves.
The brightness of the autumn color of leaves of tree species and the duration of its preservation largely depend on the conditions of autumn weather.
In dry autumn weather, the leaves take on a less bright color and do not stay on the trees for very long; cold and cold are also unfavorable rainy autumn, accelerating leaf fall. The most favorable for the brightness and preservation of the autumn color of trees and shrubs in gardens and parks is long, warm and moderately humid autumn weather.
The age of the tree species also matters. Young specimens have leaves in autumn
are brighter colored and stay on the branches longer,
Table 13
Tree species with predominantly monochromatic autumn leaves
(X X - main, X - additional)
than on the old ones. Red oak is painted in very bright orange and red tones only when young
age, in older specimens this coloration is often not observed; it is replaced by
yellowish-brown. Shar-lakh and swamp oaks have bright autumn foliage colors
is also characteristic of older specimens, and the leaves remain on the trees for a long time.
In addition to weather conditions and the age of plants, the time of autumn leaf fall depends on the species characteristics of tree species. In sessile oak (winter oak), dried leaves remain on the branches for a very long time in autumn and even winter. The common oak (English oak) has forms in which dried leaves remain on the branches until spring.
Few tree species retain their leaves.
T a bI i ts a M Tree species with multi-colored autumn leaves(XX ~* main, X - additional)
They remain green until they fall with the onset of stable morning frosts.
Preservation of the green color of leaves until late autumn (until mid-November in the Moscow region) is observed in a number of tree species, such as willows, some poplars (Petrovsky, Berlin), and sycamore.
The long-term preservation of green leaves by some tree species in the fall is a biological feature of these species; they do not have time to complete their growing season before the onset of autumn frosts, under the influence of which the green leaves fall off prematurely.
In the south, the leaves of the same species go through a normal cycle before falling. autumn change colors. So, for example, the leaves of white acacia in the northern regions of its culture (northern Ukraine, Central Chernozem Belt, Moscow region) usually fall while still green, but in the south (Southern Crimea, Black Sea coast Caucasus) they fall off after they have acquired the normal autumn yellow color. Tree species that retain the autumn season for a long time green color leaves, allow you to extend the green decor of plantings until a later time, as well as create spectacular contrasting combinations still green tree species with species already painted in bright autumn tones.
In addition to the time of autumn leaf fall, significant importance for green construction is
total duration of leafing of deciduous tree species throughout
growing season.
Plants are one of the five kingdoms of living organisms on our planet. They belong to eukaryotes, that is, creatures whose cells contain a nucleus.
Plant structure
They can be either unicellular or multicellular. The latter are divided into such divisions as green, brown and spore, gymnosperms and angiosperms. The algae organism can consist of one cell or many, but their structure lacks organs; the body is solid - called a thallus. In spores, gymnosperms and angiosperms (flowering plants), the presence of differentiated tissues and organs is observed. The latter are divided into vegetative and generative.
The first includes the shoot (stem and leaves), as well as the root. Many people are interested in the question: “Why are the leaves green?” Why this color? Also, many children ask the question: “Why are the leaves green?” AND this article we will start with this topic.
Why are the leaves green?
This color is due to the presence of chlorophyll. In the fall, this pigment is lost and the green leaf turns red, orange or yellow. Why is this substance needed? It is simply vital for the plant. Without it, the process of photosynthesis, which produces nutrients, cannot occur. Organic chemical substances plants are usually obtained only from this process. However, some species living in the lower layers tropical forests, do not receive enough light for full photosynthesis, so they resort to hunting small insects, thus compensating for the lack organic compounds. These include sundew, lady's slipper, etc.
Briefly about the structure of a plant cell
It consists of a plasma membrane, cellulose, cytoplasm, which contains organelles, and a nucleus, which contains DNA. The cytoplasm contains the following organelles: mitochondria, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, vacuole (in an old cell there is one large one, in a young cell there are several small ones), the Golgi complex and plastids (chloroplasts, leucoplasts, chromoplasts).
Each of them performs its own production of energy, ribosomes synthesize proteins, the endoplasmic reticulum (reticulum) produces lipids, vacuoles accumulate unnecessary substances, since it is impossible to remove them outside due to the solid cell wall, the process of photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts, chromoplasts contain pigments, leucoplasts store reserve nutrients (mainly starch).
How does photosynthesis occur?
This process takes place in chloroplasts, which are located in the cytoplasm of the cell. These organelles are single-membrane; their structure includes thylakoids - thin plates assembled into grana - stacks. They contain chlorophyll - that's why the leaves are green. In addition, chloroplasts contain ribosomes involved in the production of proteins, starch grains, as well as circular DNA molecules, which contain information about substances that must be synthesized in the cell.
Absorb in the process solar energy, water and carbon dioxide, and release oxygen as a by-product of the reactions. Enzymes that help carry out chemical interactions are located directly in the chloroplast matrix (the substance that fills it).
What are the leaves made of?
In this organ you can find several types; here there are four. These are the epidermis, mesophyll, (xylem and phloem), and mechanical fabrics. Photosynthesis occurs in the mesophyll, or parenchyma. You can see the cells of a green leaf under a microscope. This is the upper ball - the epidermis.
Its cells are located close to each other, but this layer contains pores that allow them to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, as well as regulate water and temperature balance. The parenchyma (mesophyll) is divided into two layers - one of columnar cells, the other of spongy cells. The first contains large quantity chloroplasts than in the second. Xylem is represented by vessels through which liquid is transported from the roots to the leaves, that is, upward, and phloem consists of sieve-like tubes through which water is transported down. Mechanical fabrics provide the sheet with rigidity and stability, and a certain shape.
Most people know that the leaves of plants and trees are mostly green. However, have you ever wondered why the leaves are green? If not, we invite you to read the text of our article today, because we will understand this issue.
Chlorophyll pigment
Most plants have one pigment in their leaves called “Chlorophyll”. One of the main functions of the pigment is to capture sunlight, or rather its energy, with the help of which the pigment is able to carry out photosynthesis.
Thanks to the light that is absorbed by plants, or rather by the pigment chlorophyll, plants are able to produce organic matter, serving for nutrition, because, as is known, plants are living, and without constant power supply and the supply of necessary substances, their life and existence would be impossible.
It is noteworthy that the name chlorophyll comes from Greek language, and it can be translated almost literally as “green leaf”.
Now that you know why plant leaves are green, you can consider a few more questions related to our topic today.
Why are flower leaves pale green?
Sometimes flower leaves have an unusual green tint, which is more like a pale green color. Of course, the pale shade of flower leaves cannot mean that the plant is completely healthy. Such a phenomenon can only mean that the plant lacks one of the elements. For example, it could be:
- Potassium;
- Phosphorus;
- Nitrogen.
The role of chlorophyll
Finally, it should also be noted that chlorophyll has more than one role, and in addition to giving plants a green color, this pigment truly plays one of the most important roles on our planet.
Most people know that plants and trees influence the formation of oxygen on planet Earth. To be more precise, they are engaged in the process of absorbing carbon dioxide and converting it into oxygen, necessary for life on our planet. And to be even more precise, it is chlorophyll that is responsible for this function in plants and trees.
It is also worth emphasizing that chlorophyll also affects the formation of nutrients from plant roots, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, sugar and starch. However, this is not as important as the fact that it is through chlorophyll and photosynthesis that plants produce oxygen.