Question

What happens when green tomato fruits turn red?

• A. New chloroplasts are formed
• B. Chloroplasts are converted to chromoplasts
• C. Chromoplasts are changed to chloroplasts
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is B Chloroplasts are converted to chromoplasts

Chromoplasts can be formed from either leucoplasts or chloroplasts. Chromoplasts are the yellow or reddish coloured plastids containing carotenoid pigments.
Leucoplasts are the colourless plastids and are generally involved in the storage of nutrients.
Chloroplasts are the green coloured plastids that contain photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll.

Green tomatoes turn red due to transformation of chloroplasts to chromoplast as they mature. The chlorophyll in chloroplasts is degraded along with thylakoids. This is followed by aggregation of carotenoid pigments.