Separation of Leaf Pigments by Paper Chromatography
Biology · Photosynthesis in Higher Plants · NEET
When you separate the pigments of a green leaf by paper chromatography, the single green colour splits into FOUR pigments: chlorophyll a (bright/blue-green), chlorophyll b (yellow-green), xanthophylls (yellow) and carotenoids (yellow to yellow-orange). This shows a leaf is not green due to one pigment but many. Memory hook: "a-b-X-C = blue-green, yellow-green, yellow, yellow-orange" (colours get warmer as you go down the list).
Paper chromatography splits the single green colour of a leaf into four coloured bands. Carotenoids travel farthest (most soluble); chlorophyll a stays lowest. Colours: chlorophyll a blue-green, chlorophyll b yellow-green, xanthophylls yellow, carotenoids yellow-orange.
Your doubts, answered
How many pigments does paper chromatography separate from a green leaf?
Exactly FOUR pigments. NCERT (Class 11, Chapter 11) states the colour we see in leaves is not due to a single pigment but due to four: chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, xanthophylls and carotenoids. This is a very common one-mark NEET fact.
What colour is each pigment in the chromatogram?
Chlorophyll a is bright or blue-green, chlorophyll b is yellow-green, xanthophylls are yellow, and carotenoids are yellow to yellow-orange. NEET has directly asked you to match each pigment with its colour (2023 and 2025).
Why does a leaf look green if it has yellow and orange pigments too?
Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b are the most abundant pigments and their strong green colour hides (masks) the yellow xanthophylls and orange carotenoids. Only when chlorophyll breaks down (as in autumn or a dying leaf) do the yellow and orange colours become visible.
What is the principle behind paper chromatography here?
Different pigments have different solubility in the solvent and different attraction to the paper. So they move up the paper at different speeds and separate into distinct coloured bands. The most soluble/least-retained pigment travels farthest.
Which pigments are the accessory pigments?
Chlorophyll b, xanthophylls and carotenoids are accessory pigments. Chlorophyll a is the chief (main) pigment and the reaction-centre pigment. Accessory pigments absorb light and pass the energy to chlorophyll a, and also protect chlorophyll a from photo-damage.
⚠️ The NEET trap ✗ Chlorophyll a is yellow-green and chlorophyll b is blue-green. ✓ Chlorophyll a is bright/BLUE-GREEN; chlorophyll b is YELLOW-GREEN. 🧠 NEET flips the two green shades in match-the-column questions. Lock it: 'a' comes first = the deeper BLUE-green; 'b' is the lighter YELLOW-green.
Real NEET questions
NEET 2023 (Phase 2)
Match List I with List II and choose the correct answer:
List I: A. Chlorophyll a B. Chlorophyll b C. Xanthophyll D. Carotenoid
List II: I. Yellow to yellow orange II. Yellow green III. Blue green IV. Yellow
A · (A)-(II), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV)
B · (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(II), (D)-(I)
C · (A)-(III), (B)-(II), (C)-(IV), (D)-(I) ✓
D · (A)-(III), (B)-(I), (C)-(IV), (D)-(II)
Solution: Paper chromatography gives: chlorophyll a = blue-green (III), chlorophyll b = yellow-green (II), xanthophyll = yellow (IV), carotenoid = yellow to yellow-orange (I). So A-III, B-II, C-IV, D-I = option C.
NEET 2025
Match List I (Pigment) with List II (Colour) and choose the correct answer:
List I: A. Chlorophyll a B. Chlorophyll b C. Xanthophylls D. Carotenoids
List II: I. Yellow-green II. Yellow III. Blue-green IV. Yellow to Yellow-orange
A · A-I, B-II, C-IV, D-III
B · A-I, B-IV, C-III, D-II
C · A-III, B-IV, C-II, D-I
D · A-III, B-I, C-II, D-IV ✓
Solution: Chlorophyll a = blue-green (III), chlorophyll b = yellow-green (I), xanthophylls = yellow (II), carotenoids = yellow to yellow-orange (IV). So A-III, B-I, C-II, D-IV = option D.
Solved Photosynthesis in Higher Plants NEET PYQs
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
How many pigments are separated in paper chromatography of a leaf?
Four: chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, xanthophylls and carotenoids.
What is the colour of chlorophyll a in the chromatogram?
Bright or blue-green. This is the chief photosynthetic pigment.
What is the colour of chlorophyll b?
Yellow-green. It is an accessory pigment.
What colour are xanthophylls and carotenoids?
Xanthophylls are yellow and carotenoids are yellow to yellow-orange.
Why is this topic important for NEET?
NEET has directly asked match-the-column questions on pigment colours in 2023 and 2025, so remembering the four pigments and their exact colours can be an easy one mark.
