Organic pigments can be made in a lab or in nature—the term indicates the presence of carbon-hydrogen bonds, not their source.

Not all colored materials can become pigments—the process of grinding materials down into smaller particles may destroy the color-producing molecules.

Creating a perfect red pigment that is vivid, durable, and nontoxic is likely impossible.

Paints are primarily made of pigments from rocks, plants, insects, or synthetic sources, combined with binding agents, solvents, and other potential additives for specific purposes.

Studies of tattoo inks have identified over 100 pigments, which have historically included toxic metals but now include organic compounds.

Some organisms' colors come from structural color—tiny structures that distinctly scatter different colors of light, eliminating some while reinforcing others that become visible.

Lead, arsenic, uranium, and other toxic elements were once used in pigments for producing vibrant colors.

Violet is the rarest color in nature because it is the most energetically demanding visible light for pigments to reflect and for nanostructures to scatter.

Cow urine, cuttlefish ink, and burned white lead were among the substances used as pigments throughout history.

From dragon's blood to bone black, explore a timeline of pigments used throughout history, including each pigment's composition, preparation methods, and uses.

Incinerated skeletons, animal blood, and fermented animal waste were among the ingredients used to make the pigments in some of art history's most famous paintings.

The world's oldest known synthetic pigment—Egyptian blue—was created about 5,000 years ago.

The oldest colors in the geological record are bright pink pigments from about 1.1 billion years ago, according to researchers.

The same pigments that enable photosynthesis—chlorophyll a and b—are also responsible for giving most plants their green color.

Watch how the rich blue pigment YInMn, also known as MasBlue, is created from three silver metals: yttrium, indium, and manganese.

Fossilized pigment granules have enabled scientists to deduce the colors of long-extinct organisms, including dinosaurs.

The Forbes Pigment Collection contains samples of over 3,000 pigments, which are used as reference materials to distinguish original artwork from restorations and forgeries.

Blood can be blue, green, magenta, or transparent due to differences in the oxygen-carrying respiratory pigments they contain.

The color of bird feathers comes from a combination of pigments and structural color, with the latter enabling some to glow in ultraviolet light.

Leaves have orange and yellow pigments year-round, but they are masked until the fall, when shorter days reduce the production of chlorophyll, a green pigment.

Egg yolks and carrots have the same pigments that contribute to the yellow and orange colors of fall foliage.

Flamingos get their pink color from pigments in their food, but they cannot be any color because their bodies cannot process every type of pigment.

Some organisms can change color by quickly revealing or hiding various pigments, as seen in octopuses, squids, and other cephalopods.

Scientists can simulate 100 years of studio light exposure in 300 hours using a xenon chamber, enabling them to test a pigment's resistance to fading.

In the US, 'organic food' is defined by the USDA

Instead of consuming water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and sugar, anoxygenic photosynthesis involves alternative reactants and products.

Humans can distinguish about 10 million colors—a number that is limited by photopigments that only activate when exposed to specific wavelengths of light.

The centuries-old history of titanium white goes back to the Inca

The pharmaceutical industry evolved, in part, from the discovery of synthetic dyes

Organic food might be greener, but it’s not better for you

The five most common chemicals found in modern food

Humans need vitamins, but research is mixed on taking supplements

Colored diamonds result from elemental impurities, structural deformities, and exposure to radiation.

When processing light, the brain can perceive colors with no natural wavelength

Starting with red, colorful objects will appear to lose their colors the deeper they are submerged because water scatters light, reducing the amount available to reflect off objects and be observed.

Synchrotron radiation has revealed the fur color of creatures millions of years old

Why 75% of ocean animals glow

Color originates from the brain processing light of varying wavelengths

Water is naturally tinted with a slight blue, but sediments and organics can alter its color

Blacklights can illuminate certain biological materials, including blood, teeth, and fingernails, because they contain fluorophores—molecules that visibly glow immediately after exposure to higher-energy light.

View a gallery of plants made to shine using ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence photography, in which organisms re-emit the ultraviolet light they are exposed to in vibrant, glowing colors.

Some octopuses change color while they sleep, potentially in response to dreaming about hiding, hunting, or other activities that involve changing color while awake.

This 'Science Vs' episode checks the taste, health, and environmental claims about organic food against the actual research.

By separating light with tools such as prisms, scientists can reveal the presence and composition of celestial matter by identifying color fingerprints unique to specific elements and molecules.

Ultraprocessed foods include preservatives, dyes, sweeteners, and more

The USDA does not claim that organic food is healthier than the alternatives

Proof of 'natural' food claims are voluntary for most food products

Molecules derived from algae can be found in foods such as ice cream, salad dressings, brownie mix, and gravies, as well as in products such as toothpaste, multivitamins, and egg substitutes.

Tattoo inks are largely unregulated by the FDA

Virtually all plants are biofluorescent because their photosynthesis is powered by chlorophyll, a pigment that glows red as a way to get rid of excess energy when exposed to ultraviolet light.

View a gallery of biofluorescent animals, which contain cells that emit various colors when exposed to ultraviolet light.