A yellow or orange pigment found in plants and vegetables, especially carrots, that the body converts to vitamin A.
From German Carotin, derived from carrot (from Latin carota). Named in the 1800s when chemists isolated this compound responsible for carrots' color.
Carotene is why carrots are orange and why eating them supports your night vision—the pigment literally builds the molecules your eyes need to see in the dark.
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