Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) roots. Young roots Swiss chard seedlings growing in a seed tray. The roots grow from the tip, seen here as a pointed apex,

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Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) roots. Young roots Swiss chard seedlings growing in a seed tray. The roots grow from the tip, seen here as a pointed apex, behind which are also visible the very fine root hairs that absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil. The plants are from mixed seed of red and yellow pigmented varieties. The roots show both colours, and also white. Swiss Chard is a member of the beet family, bred for its glossy green foliage and coloured stalks and leaf venation. The red and yellow colour is caused by betalains, a class of pigments confined to the Caryophyllales and some fungi. The distinctive red hue is produced by betacyanins, and the yellow by betaxanthins. These pigments are claimed to have a wide range of health benefits as anti-inflammatories, including reducing allergic reactions, improving cardiac function and combating some cancers.

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Size: 3468px × 5212px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, benefit, beta, betacyanin, betalain, betaxanthin, biological, biology, botanical, botany, chard, close-, detail, flora, food, hair, health, nature, pigment, plant, root, swiss, vegetable, vulgaris