Constituents of Pigments

The iron oxides minerals whieh form the major constituents of pigments are hematite, magnetite and goethite. Limonite, often used in the description of pigments, is a hydrated iron oxide of poor crystallinity and consists mainly of goethite or lepidocrocite. 

Mineral Hardness Specific gravity Refractive index Colour 

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Adsorption column chromatography has been employed to separate the constituents of pyrethrum. Florisil and aluminum oxide have been used as adsorption columns to retain much of the pigmented materials. The pyrethroids may be caused to elute with several solvents. In our experience mixtures of hexane with ethyl acetate, methanol, ethyl ether, dichloromethane, or acetone have provided different elution patterns. 

The basic constituent of seashells is calcium carbonate, an insoluble compound formed from calcium ions secreted from the cells of the shellfish and carbonate ions present in seawater. But calcium carbonate is a white solid. The colors of seashells often arise from impurities and metabolic waste products captured in the solid shell as it is formed. Coloration is dictated by both diet and water habitat. For example, some cowries that live and feed on soft corals take on the hue of the coral species. Yellow and red colors often arise from carotenoid pigments such as //-carotene. Light refraction often generates the iridescent mother-of-pearl hues. 

Unlike the photosynthetic apparatus of photosynthetic bacteria, that of cyanobacteria consits of two photosystems, PS I and II, connected by an electron transport chain. The only chlorophyll present is chlorophyll a, and, therefore, chlorophylls b—d are not of interest in this article. Chlorophyll a is the principal constituent of PS I. Twenty per cent of isolated pigment-protein complexes contain one P700 per 20—30 chlorophyll a molecules the other 80% contain only chlorophyll a20). The physical and chemical properties of chlorophyll a and its role in photosynthesis have recently been described by Meeks77), Mauzerall75), Hoch60), Butler10), and other authors of the Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology NS Vol. 5. 

Tyrosine (Tyr or Y) (4-hydroxyphenylalanine ((5)-2-amino-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propanoic acid)) is a polar, neutral, aromatic amino acid with the formula H00CCH(NH2)CH2C6H50H and is the precursor of thyroxin, dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), epinephrine (adrenaline), and the pigment melanin. Being the precursor amino acid for the thyroid gland hormone thyroxin, a defect in this may result in hypothyroidism. Tyr is extremely soluble in water, a property that has proven useful in isolating this amino acid from protein hydrolysates. The occurrence of tyrosine- 0-sulfate as a constituent of human urine and fibrinogen has been reported. ... 

Two different categories of pigments may be involved in lesion discoloration pigments resulting from chemical reactions of the organic contents of the lesion, and exogenous pigments from bacteria or food, which penetrate the lesion and bind to lesion constituents. 

The functions of phenylpropanoid derivatives are as diverse as their structural variations. Phenylpropanoids serve as phytoalexins, UV protectants, insect repellents, flower pigments, and signal molecules for plant-microbe interactions. They also function as polymeric constituents of support and surface structures such as lignins and suberins [1]. Therefore, biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids has received much interest in relation to these functions. In addition, the biosynthesis of these compounds has been intensively studied because they are often chiral, and naturally occurring samples of these compounds are usually optically active. Elucidation of these enantioselective mechanisms may contribute to the development of novel biomimetic systems for enantioselective organic synthesis. 

Bile. The liver forms a thin secretion (bile) that is stored in the gallbladder after water and salts have been extracted from it. From the gallbladder, it is released into the duodenum. The most important constituents of bile are water and inorganic salts, bile acids and bile salts (see p. 314), phospholipids, bile pigments, and cholesterol. Bile salts, together with phospholipids, emulsify insoluble food lipids and activate the lipases. Without bile, fats would be inadequately cleaved, if at all, resulting in fatty stool (steatorrhea). Resorption of fat-soluble vitamins would also be affected. 

Uses. The metal is used in electroplating, in solder for aluminum, as a constituent of easily fusible alloys, as a deoxidizer in nickel plating, in process engraving, in cadmium-nickel batteries, and in reactor control rods. Cadmium compounds are employed as TV phosphors, as pigments in glazes and enamels, in dyeing and printing, and in semiconductors and rectifiers. 

Tamura, FI. et al.. Structures of a succinyl anthocyanin and a malonyl flavone, two constituents of the complex blue pigment of cornflower Centaurea cyanus. Tetrahedron Lett., 24, 5749, 1983. Sulyok, G. and Laszlo-Bencsik, A., Cyanidin 3-(6-succinyl glucoside)-5-glucoside from flowers of seven Centaurea species. Phytochemistry, 24, 1121, 1985. 

When polymers are used as constituents of coatings, paints, and lacquers, they require solvents as dispersing agents. Whether true solutions are formed or emulsions, the solvents used have to conform to environmental specifications, but should be sufficiently volatile so as to permit rapid drying of the applied polymer and pigment, if present. One should examine chapter 6 and the appendix for green examples of coatings solvents. 

Proteins with molecular weights in the millions are the major constituents of all living cells. Simple proteins are hydrolyzed only to amino acids. Coqjugated proteins are hydrolyzed to amino acids and nonpeptide substances known as prosthetic groups. These prosthetic groups include nucleic acids of nucieoproteins, carbohydrates of glycoproteins, pigments (such as hemin and chiorophyli) of chromoproteins, and fats or lipids of lipoproteins. 

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