A specific plant pigment shows a broad absorption peak in the blue region of the visible spectrum but shows absolutely no absorption in the red region. What would be the colour of this pigment when separated on a paper chromatogram?

Step-by-step solution

According to the absorption spectrum of photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b show absorption peaks in both the blue and red regions of the visible spectrum. Carotenoids, however, show absorption only in the blue region and do not absorb in the red region. Therefore, the pigment described is a carotenoid. When separated by paper chromatography, carotenoids appear yellow to yellow-orange. Chlorophyll a appears bright or blue-green, and chlorophyll b appears yellow-green. Answer: Yellow to yellow-o