Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall

In the story Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall by Diane Ackerman, she briefly explain the process of how leaves change in the season of Fall. First she starts off by talking about how the leaves get their color. Sunlight is the key answer to this process. Ackerman also mention the best range of fall foliage in the United States and China. The pigment Anthocyanin plays a part in the leaves color. Not all leaves turn the same color though. Towards the end Ackerman describes how the leaves fall. As the leaf age, the growth hormone, auxin, fades, and the cells at the base of the petiole divide. Before the leaves leave they turn color and as Ackerman say you can hear them crackle underneath your feet.

While reading this story, the words and comparisons Ackerman used to describe this whole process caught my attention. I could almost visualize the way the whole process happens. One interesting fact that caught my attention was when Ackerman told where the word fall originated from. It originated from the Old English word feallan and it means to fall. The season Fall is beautiful and peaceful. Reading this story reminds me of a great thing about Fall. Overall, the story was great.