Question

Which pigment protects plants from the damage caused by U.V. rays?
A) Chlorophyll
B) Xanthophylls
C) Phycocyanin
 D)Carotenoids

Answer 1

Hint: They are yellow, orange and red pigments that are produced by plants and give colors to pumpkins, carrots, corn, tomatoes etc.

Complete answer:
Carotenoids are the pigments that protect plants from U.V rays and are synthesized by plants. They are divided into Xanthophylls- which contain oxygen and Carotenes- which contain no oxygen. Their main function in plants are-
A) They absorb the light energy for photosynthesis.
B) They provide photoprotection.
C) Prevents the harmful photodynamic reaction

Additional information
>Chlorophyll is the pigment that absorbs light, usually sunlight and present in plant’s chloroplasts, which are tiny structures. They are responsible for the green color because it does not absorb the green wavelength of white light.
>Xanthophylls are the yellow pigment of leaves which absorb the wavelength that chlorophyll can’t absorb. Their function is to absorb blue light to protect the plants from photodamage and absorb the light energy for use in photosynthesis.
>Phycocyanin is an accessory pigment to chlorophyll. This blue pigment is found in blue-green algae and cyanobacteria.

Hence the correct answer.

Note:The carotenoids are beneficial antioxidants that can protect you from disease and enhance your immune system. Chlorophyll and carotenoid are chloroplast pigments which are bound non-covalently to protein as pigment-protein complex and play a vital role in photosynthesis.