Question

Major pigments found in Phaeophyceae, i.e., brown algae are

• A. chlorophyll a, d
• B. chlorophyll a, b, c
• C. chlorophyll a, c and fucoxanthin
• D. chlorophyll a, d and phycoerythrin

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Major pigments found in brown algae (class - Phaeophyceae) are chlorophyll $a$ and $c$, and fucoxanthin, flavoxanthin, violaxanthin and lutein. Out of these pigment fucoxanthin is brown pigment that masks the traditional green colour of chlorophyll. The major pigment of green algae are chlorophylls $a,b$ carotenoid and xanthophylls while phycoerythrin and phycocynin along with chlorophylls $a$ and $b$ are main photosynthetic pigments of class - Rhodophyceae.