Chloroplast << KLAWR uh plast >> is a tiny specialized structure found inside the cells of plants and algae. Chloroplasts normally contain large amounts of chlorophyll, the chemical pigment that gives green plants their color. Chlorophyll absorbs energy from sunlight for use in photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and certain other living things use light energy to produce food. Much of this process happens inside the chloroplasts.
An individual plant cell can contain hundreds of chloroplasts. The chloroplasts of most plants are shaped like disks or lenses. Under a microscope, they can be seen in the part of a cell called the cytoplasm.
Chloroplasts are one of several types of specialized structures called plastids. Other plastids contain yellow, orange, or red pigments, and provide the colors of many flowers and fruits. Plastids can also store oil, protein, and starch.
During the fall, the production of chlorophyll stops in some plants. The leaves then turn yellow or brown in color as other pigments in the chloroplasts become visible.
