Question

The leaves other than green colour also have chlorophyll. They contain large amount of

A. Red pigments

B. Brown pigments

C. Other pigments mask

D. All of the above

Answer 1

The leaves of ornamental plants are very fascinating as they contain green coloured chlorophyll along with different coloured pigments which involve carotenoids and flavonoids.

Complete answer:

• Photosynthesis is the process when plants make their own food using sunlight, carbon dioxide, water and chlorophyll available in leaves with the liberation of oxygen. It takes place in chloroplast.
• Pigments are the molecules which absorb a particular wavelength of light and reflect back. It helps in capturing the light.
• There are different colours of pigments found like green, brown, red, yellow. Chlorophyll is the green pigment which gives the green colour in the plant.
• Chlorophyll absorbs red or blue light and reflects green light because of which leaves appear to be green in colour.
• Not only these plants also contain many different pigments which are generally masked by the chlorophyll. Example –Carotenoids.
• Carotenoids are the accessory pigments used when there is low light and are mainly of red, yellow and orange colored pigments.
• Light is not important for their biosynthesis. The main function of carotenoids is in sheltering the chlorophyll molecule from photo oxidation by taking nascent oxygen and changing into harmless molecular stages.
• They absorb blue wavelengths and transfer to chlorophyll a. Examples of carotenoids include carotenes which are red in colour (found in carrot) and xanthophyll which is yellow in colour.
• It is found that in the autumn season that chlorophyll level starts decreasing so the colour of carotenoids appears in the leaves.
• Pigments like betalains (red or yellow pigments) and other chlorophyll pigments mask the green colour of the leaf.

Therefore, the correct answer is option (D).
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Note: A specific pigment molecule like chlorophyll absorbs a particular colour of light and converts into proper chemical energy for the chemical bond. Rather than chlorophyll other pigments absorb different lights and reflect into red, yellow and can be seen by our eyes.