carotenoid
Americannoun
adjective
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Any of a class of yellow to red pigments found especially in plants, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria. Carotenoids generally consist of conjoined units of the hydrocarbon isoprene, with alternating single and double bonds. The carotenoids absorb light energy of certain frequencies and transfer it to chlorophyll for use in photosynthesis. They also act as antioxidants for chlorophyll, protecting it from damage by oxidation in the presence of sunlight. Carotenoids are nutritionally important for many animals, giving flamingoes their color, for example, and also have antioxidant properties. There are many types of carotenoids, including carotenes and xanthophylls.
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See more at photosynthesis
Etymology
Origin of carotenoid
Vocabulary lists containing carotenoid
Photosynthesis - High School
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Nutrition - High School
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Nutrition and Digestion - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hall then wondered what would happen if he combined the genetic changes needed to make PDC and a carotenoid in the same microbe.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2023
Based on the bacteria's genome sequence, they suspected zeaxanthin is a steppingstone to that less valuable carotenoid in the process that cells use to make complex molecules.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2023
Beta-carotene is the carotenoid responsible for a carrot's vibrant orange colour.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2023
Beta-carotene is the most well-known carotenoid because of the high amounts found in carrots.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2023
Effects of light on carotenoid formation in tomato fruits.
From The Tomato by Work, Paul
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
