Question

Which one of the following pigments does not occur in the chloroplast?

• A. Carotene
• B. Xanthophyll
• C. Chlorophyll 'b'
• D. Anthocyanin

Answer 1

The correct option is D Anthocyanin

Chlorophyll is the green colored photosynthetic pigment. They may be of many types (a,b,c,d and e). Out of all these varieties, only chlorophyll a and b are found in the chloroplasts of higher plants. Chlorophyll a is found in all photosynthetic plants. Some of the chlorophyll ‘a’ molecules also act as reaction centres in the photosystems.
Carotenoids are a group of yellow, reddish-brown pigments associated with the chlorophyll inside the chloroplasts. They are found inside chromoplasts. Along with chlorophyll b, these are also referred to as accessory pigments because they transfer energy absorbed by them to the chlorophyll a. They are of two types- carotenes and xanthophylls.
Anthocyanins belong to a class of compounds having anti-oxidant properties called flavonoids. They provide red, purple and blue colors. Since they provide different colors, they are mostly found in the fruits, flowers and in the mesophyll of the leaves. They are found inside chromoplasts (a type of plastids that house colored pigments) and not inside chloroplasts.