Question

When green tomatoes turn red, then
A. Chloroplasts are changes to chromoplasts.
B. Chromoplasts are changed to chloroplasts.
C. New chromoplasts are made.
D. None of the above.

Answer 1

Hint: In the development and ripening cycle of tomatoes, tomatoes change in colour from green to red happens because the two of their pigments that they use form the photosynthetic process to their colour-changing transformation: i) chlorophyll and i) lycopene. Chlorophyll is green, and lycopene is red in colour.

Complete answer:
Chromoplast belongs to the category of non-green colored plastids. They consist of the colored pigments called carotenoids. They are those types of plastids that contain pigment other than chlorophyll. These carotenoids can be orange or yellow in colour. They are produced by chloroplast or by leucoplast. The chromoplasts are the one that helps in pollination and fruit dispersal.

The change of tomatoes colour from photosynthetic green to red in the process of fruit ripening is because of the conversion of green colour chloroplasts to red coloured chromoplasts. Therefore, it is evident to say that the change in colour of tomatoes from green to red is due to transformation of chloroplast to chromoplasts. Carrot’s orange colour is also because of the presence of chromoplasts. The chromoplast provides colour to many other coloured fruits and flowers.

Note: Chromoplasts are non-green plastids, they belong to heterogeneous groups of organelles, by which pigment synthesis occurs.
Chromoplast helps in the formation and storage of carotenoid pigments in flowers, fruits, in some roots also. Some coloured petals are also due to the presence of the chromoplast.