Carotenoids

Yellow-to-red tetraterpenoid pigments that harvest light for photosynthesis and quench damaging reactive oxygen species.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Beta-carotene is cleaved in the human intestine into two molecules of retinal, the precursor of vitamin A.
• Autumn yellows appear when chlorophyll degrades and unmasks the carotenoids beneath.
• Built from eight isoprene units, giving most carotenoids a 40-carbon backbone.

Specifications & Metrics

• CHEMICAL CLASS: Tetraterpenoids