Science and Technology Essay: Can Red-leaf Plants Carry out Photosynthesis?
There are many green plants in my flowerpot. There are camellia, safflower, four seasons orchid and azalea ... they use chloroplasts for photosynthesis in the sun. Convert carbon dioxide and water into organic food and release oxygen. But can plants with red leaves do photosynthesis? Such as amaranth, begonia, their leaves are not green, how to carry out photosynthesis? With this question, I consulted popular science books such as "100,000 Why" and finally found the answer. It turns out that there is chlorophyll in red leaves. It turns red mainly because it contains red anthocyanins. They contain a lot of anthocyanins, and the color is very thick, which masks the green color of chlorophyll. So it looks red. But red leaves can also carry out photosynthesis. But how to prove it? The book also said: As long as the red leaves are boiled in hot water, the truth will come out. So, I went to the wild to pick some amaranth and begonia leaves, put them in hot water and then heat them. Soon, a miracle appeared, and the red leaves became green leaves. What is the reason? I consulted other books, and it turns out that anthocyanins are soluble in water, while chlorophyll is insoluble in water. In hot water, anthocyanins dissolve, chlorophyll remains in leaves, and boiled leaves turn from red to green, which proves that chlorophyll does exist in red leaves. This is the mystery of nature. Science is an amazing knowledge, and we need to explore and study constantly to gain something.