Name: Darla
Status: educator
Grade: other
Location: KY
Country: N/A
Date: 4/2/2005
Question:
Why are beets red? Where does the red color come
from? If I were to do a science experiment for my class, would
it be possible to remove the red and make a beet a new color?
Replies:
The pigments anthocyanins and betalins result in the red color of
beets.
I'm not aware of a method to remove these pigments in a simple
class experiment; however, instead, you might look at simple
experiments to show the uptake of different color dyes by cut
flowers such as carnations.
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