Community Magazine May 2013

Why do leaves change color? During the spring and summer, leaves serve as factories, manufacturing most of the foods necessary for the tree‛s growth. This food-making process takes place in numerous cells in the leaf that contain chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. Along with the green pigment, these cells also contain yellow to orange to red pigments. Most of the year, these colors are masked by the large amounts of green coloring, but in the fall, in response to diminishing periods of daylight and the drop in temperature, the leaves stop their food- making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange to red colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor. ANSWER: Bees have a stinger in order to protect their honey, beeswax, and larvae from intruders. Many creatures such as bears, birds, badgers, and wasps enter bees’ nests in search of these items, so the bees use their stingers to fight them off and to protect their nest. What‛s the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? The turtle and the tortoise belong to the same family, called Testudines. The tortoise, however, is well-adapted to living on land, only approaching water to drink or to bathe. The tortoise has a larger domed shell and thicker legs than the turtle. Turtles generally have smaller legs and spend a lot of time swimming in water, though they are also able to venture onto land. The turtle‛s shell is much flatter than that of the tortoise, making it more streamlined for swimming. What is a mirage? A mirage is a phenomenon in which distant objects appear very close. It is created when the air close to the ground is warmer than the air above it. The speed of light changes in accordance with the temperature of the air through which it passes. When the sun‛s rays pass from cold air to hotter air, they are bent and refracted. The result is a mirage, such as the illusionary appearance of a sparkling pool of water in a totally arid area. Why do we have belly buttons? A belly button, sometimes called a navel, is something everyone in the world has! Not only that – but it is always in the same place on the body. As a baby develops inside his mother, he floats in fluid inside his mother‛s womb. While in the womb, he cannot breathe air or eat food. That‛s where the umbilical cord comes in. The umbilical cord is a flexible tube that carries oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby. It also carries wastes away from the baby back to the mother, so she can get rid of them. Your belly button marks the spot where your umbilical cord was once attached. After the baby is born, he no longer needs his umbilical cord, and so the doctor cuts it off his body, leaving behind a tiny stump. When this stump falls off a few weeks later, the baby is left with his very own baby belly button. iYAR - SiVAN 5773 MAY 2013 89