carotenoid
or ca·rot·i·noid
any of a group of red and yellow pigments, chemically similar to carotene, contained in animal fat and some plants.
similar to carotene.
pertaining to carotenoids.
Origin of carotenoid
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for carotenoid
carotinoid
/ (kəˈrɒtɪˌnɔɪd) /
any of a group of red or yellow pigments, including carotenes, found in plants and certain animal tissues
of or resembling carotene or a carotenoid
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for carotenoid
[ kə-rŏt′n-oid′ ]
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. See more at photosynthesis.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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