BOTANY WITH BASICS OF HYDROBOTANY (AQUATIC PLANTS OF UKRAINE) - B.Ye. Yakubenko - 2011

IV. PLANT ANATOMY AND MORPHOLOGY

Primary Organic Compounds

Fat-Soluble Pigments

This group of pigments includes carotenoids and chlorophylls.

Carotenoids are pigments ranging in color from yellow to red, found in both PLANT AND ANIMAL Cells. They are divided into hydrocarbon carotenes (С4ОН56) and oxygen-containing xanthophylls (e.g., С4ОН56О2). In plant cells, carotenoids occur within METABOLISM/14.html">Chloroplasts and chromoplasts, as well as extracellularly, such as in oil droplets. In the Human and Animal body, carotenoids serve as a source of vitamin A and visual purple, which is part of the light-sensitive Cells of the eye. In both plant and animal cells, carotenoids provide protection against photoinduced and Lipid Peroxidation.

Chlorophylls are green plant pigments that are constituents of membrane structures known as thylakoids. The known types of chlorophyll include chlorophyll a (C55H72O5N4Mg), chlorophyll b (C55H70O6N4Mg), and bacteriochlorophyll (C55H74O6N4Mg). Algal cells may also contain chlorophylls c, d, and e. The primary function of chlorophylls in plants is Photosynthesis. In humans and animals, chlorophyll helps increase Blood Hemoglobin levels as it is a homologue thereof, while the phytol tail of the chlorophyll molecule is structurally similar to vitamin K, a blood-clotting factor.



Last update: 07/08/2026

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