Question
Biology Question on Eukaryotic Cells
Which of the following is responsible for red colour of tomato?
A
Chlorophyll
B
Phycoerythrin
C
Phycocyanin
D
Lycopene
Answer
Lycopene
Explanation
Solution
Red colour of ripe tomatoes is the result of chromoplasts that contains the red pigment lycopene (a member of carotenoid family). Lycopene is absent in yellow fruited varieties. Chromoplast of blue-green algae and red algae contains various pigments such as phycocynin, phycoerythrin and carotenoids. Chlorophyll is a green coloured pigment of chloroplast. It contains an asymmetrical molecule which has a hydrophillic head of four pyrole rings and hydrophobic tail. The chlorophyll-a consists of 75% chlorophyll-a and 25% chlorophyll-b.