Question

The pigment responsible for the red colour of ripe tomato is

• A. Xanthophyll
• B. Lycopene
• C. Chlorophyll
• D. Anthocyanin

Hint:

Remember important pigments: Chlorophyll = Green Xanthophyll = Yellow Carotene = Orange Lycopene = Red (Tomato) Anthocyanin = Purple/Blue/Red in flowers and fruits

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: Plants contain different types of pigments that are responsible for absorbing light and producing characteristic colours in fruits, flowers, and leaves. These pigments belong to different chemical groups and each pigment performs specific biological functions. The major plant pigments include chlorophyll, carotenoids, xanthophylls, anthocyanins and lycopene. Tomato changes colour during ripening because chlorophyll gradually breaks down and another pigment accumulates in high concentration. The red colour in ripe tomato is mainly due to the carotenoid pigment called lycopene.

Step 1: Understand the process of fruit ripening.
During fruit ripening, chemical changes occur inside fruit tissues. Green fruits initially contain chlorophyll, which is responsible for green coloration. As ripening begins, chlorophyll molecules degrade and become reduced in concentration. At the same time, other pigments begin accumulating. Thus colour transformation occurs because pigment composition changes during maturation.

Step 2: Study the function of lycopene.
Lycopene is a red carotenoid pigment. It is commonly found in tomato and several other red fruits. Its major characteristic is strong red pigmentation. It also functions as an antioxidant and protects plant tissues from oxidative damage. In tomatoes, high lycopene concentration gives the characteristic bright red colour. Thus \[ \text{Tomato red colour} \rightarrow \text{Lycopene} \]

Step 3: Eliminate incorrect options carefully.
Option (A) Xanthophyll Xanthophyll produces yellow coloration, not red. Option (C) Chlorophyll Chlorophyll is responsible for green colour in leaves and immature fruits. Option (D) Anthocyanin Anthocyanin produces red, purple or blue coloration in flowers and some fruits but not specifically tomato red pigmentation. Only lycopene matches correctly.

Step 4: Determine final answer logically.
Since ripe tomato obtains its red colour because of accumulation of lycopene pigment, the correct answer becomes \[ \boxed{\text{Lycopene}} \] Therefore \[ \boxed{\text{Option (2)}} \]