Question

Which of the following pigments are not stored in cell organelles?
A. Carotenes
B. Anthocyanins
C. Xanthophylls
D. Chlorophylls

Answer 1

Hint: Pigments are the substances that provide colour to the cells in organisms. Some pigments perform special functions other than imparting the color. Moreover, some pigments are found in the cell sap of the sap vacuoles.

Complete step by step answer: Let us look at all the pigments that are found in a cell one by one.
Carotenes: They are a type of carotenoid pigments. These are fat-soluble pigments. These are the orange and red-colored pigments. They are of three types, $$\alpha$$-carotenes, $$\beta$$-carotenes, and $$\gamma$$-carotenes. $$\beta$$-carotenoids are the most common. They are found in the carrots. They are the source of vitamin A. They are found in the chromoplast plastids, which are a double membranous cell organelle. These are formed and stored here.
Anthocyanin: These are water-soluble pigments. These are usually blue colored pigments, but they can be also found as purple, black, or red. They are formed in the sap vacuoles however; they are not stored here.
Xanthophylls: They are a type of carotenoid pigments. These are fat-soluble pigments. These are the yellow-colored pigments. They are of the oxidized form of carotenes. They are found in the chromoplast plastids, which are a double membranous cell organelle. These are formed and stored here.
Chlorophylls: They are a type of photosynthetic pigments. These are fat-soluble pigments. These are the green colored pigments. They are of five types, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, chlorophyll c, chlorophyll d, and chlorophyll e. Chlorophyll a is the most common. It is found in all photosynthetic eukaryotes and cyanobacteria. They are found in the chloroplast plastids, which are a double membranous cell organelle. These are formed and stored here.
Thus, based on the above information, we can conclude that Anthocyanin pigments are not stored in the cell organelles.
Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: Anthocyanins can change their color. The molecules of anthocyanin change their color as per their surrounding environmental conditions. Due to this reason anthocyanins act as pH indicators. If the solutions are alkaline or basic then anthocyanins turn green and indicate a pH of 8-14. If the solutions are neutral then the anthocyanins are reddish-purple or blue and indicate a pH of 7. If the solutions are acidic then anthocyanins turn pinkish-red and indicate a pH of 1-6.