Question

Which of the following pigments is present in brown algae?

• A. Anthocyanin
• B. Fucoxanthin
• C. Phycobilins
• D. Biliverdin

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Fucoxanthin

The brown algae comprising the class Phaeophyceae, are a large group of multicellular algae, including many seaweeds located in colder waters within the Northern Hemisphere. Most brown algae live in marine environments, where they play an important role both as food and as habitat. Most brown algae contain the pigment fucoxanthin, which is responsible for the distinctive greenish-brown color that gives them their name. Brown algae are unique among heterokonts in developing into multicellular forms with differentiated tissues, but they reproduce by means of flagellated spores and gametes that closely resemble cells of other heterokonts. Genetic studies show their closest relatives to be the yellow-green algae.

So the correct option is 'Fucoxanthin'.