Solveeit Logo

Question

Question: Plastids having coloured pigment are known as _________....

Plastids having coloured pigment are known as _________.

Explanation

Solution

Plastids are cytoplasmic organelles that have been involved in the synthesis and storage of food. Its function depends on the presence of pigments. Colour to flowers and leaves in plants largely depends on these pigments only.

Complete answer:
Biological pigments play a crucial role in giving colours to the pigment of plants. The primary function of pigments in plants is photosynthesis that uses green pigment chlorophyll and several colourful pigments to absorb light. Plant pigment includes many molecules such as porphyrins, carotenoids, anthocyanins and betalains.
Chromoplast is a coloured plastid, and a heterogeneous organelles that is responsible for pigment synthesis and storage in the process of photosynthesis. They are found in fruits, flowers, roots and stressed and aging leaves and are responsible for giving colours to the plant parts. Chromoplasts synthesize and store pigments like orange carotene, yellow xanthophylls and other red pigments. The main evolutionary role of these is attraction of pollinators or eaters of colored fruits which helps in dispersal of seeds.
It can be differentiated into four main types. The first type is composed of proteic stroma with granules and the second is composed of protein crystals and amorphous pigment granules. The third type is made of proteins and pigment crystals and the fourth one contains crystals.
Chromoplast are not widely studied and are not a main research part. They are used to study tomato plants. Carotenoid biosynthesis occurs in both chromoplasts and chloroplasts.

Note:
The term "chromoplast" is occasionally used to include any plastids that have pigments and they mostly emphasize the difference between them and various leucoplasts. Chloroplasts are a specific type of chromoplast. Still we use the term chromoplast to denote plastids with pigment other than that of chlorophyll.