Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory Office of Science NEWTON's Homepage NEWTON's Homepage
NEWTON, Ask A Scientist!
NEWTON Home Page NEWTON Teachers Visit Our Archives Ask A Question How To Ask A Question Question of the Week Our Expert Scientists Volunteer at NEWTON! Frequently Asked Questions Referencing NEWTON About NEWTON About Ask A Scientist Education At Argonne Green Plants in the Dark 
Name: Dan
Status: educator
Grade: other
Location: WI
Country: USA
Date: N/A
Question:
I have a potted kale plant in my completely dark root cellar. it continues to produce new leaves, that are green. Except for an incandescent bulb turned on 5min./month it gets not light. Is it producing new chlorophyll? How can the leaves turn green?


Replies:
The new leaves are still producing chlorophyll since that is part of its genetics, especially for the high chlorophyll content in kale. The chlorophyll gives the leaves their green color.

The following article may be of interest:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL &_udi=B6TBJ-4MY0TSW-4&_user=10&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2007&_rdoc=1&_ fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_ searchStrId=1630261913&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221 &_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10 &md5=b86bc12cdd132a1eaa74973b5cf7feca&searchtype=a

Anthony Brach
Missouri Botanical Garden
c/o Harvard University Herbaria


Click here to return to the Botany Archives

NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.

For assistance with NEWTON contact a System Operator (help@newton.dep.anl.gov), or at Argonne's Educational Programs

NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST
Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
60439-4845, USA
Update: June 2012
Weclome To Newton

Argonne National Laboratory