Carotenoids, also called
tetraterpenoids, are
organic pigments that are found in the
chloroplasts and
chromoplasts of plants and some other
photosynthetic organisms, including some
bacteria and some
fungi. Carotenoids can be produced from fats and other basic organic metabolic building blocks by all these organisms. The only animals known to produce carotenoids are
aphids and
spider mites, which acquired the ability and genes from fungi. Carotenoids from the diet are stored in the fatty tissues of animals, and exclusively carnivorous animals obtain the compounds from animal fat.