One of a group of red, orange, purple or yellow pigments typically found as
accessory pigments in
plants and some
fungi. They are
fat-
soluble and are called
lipochromes when they are found concentrated in
animal fat. Carotenoids are widely used as food colorings, and one pigment,
beta carotene, is used as a source of
Vitamin A. Compare
anthocyanin.
From the BioTech Dictionary at http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/. For further information see the BioTech homenode.