biology question #943

Avishan, a 27 year old female from the Internet asks on September 30, 2002,

Q:

What gives yellow corn and blue corn its color? What is the specific pigment and why?
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the answer

Barry Shell answered on September 30, 2002, A:

The yellow color in corn is produced by the presence of pigments called carotenoids and for corn it is the subgroup called the xanthophylls that impart the yellow color.

The reason why could be that many insects are attracted to the color yellow, or it could be the yellow pigment aids chlorophyll in attracting and converting sunlight.

The blue color might be caused by anthocyanins which change from red to blue depending on the acid/base situation. If the cell fluid is acidic then the color will be red. If the cell fluid is basic then the color will be blue.

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