Our eyes lack the ability to see that chlorophyll is there. Chlorophyll absorbs the red and blue light from the sunlight that contacts the leaf. Therefore, the light reflected from or transmitted through the leaf is deficient in red and blue light, so it appears green to our eyes. When a leaf has a high concentration of chlorophyll relative to other pigments, the leaf appears green. Carotinoids absorb the blue-green and blue light from the sunlight that contacts the leaf.
Light reflected by carotinoid pigments appears yellow or yellow-orange to our eyes.
Generally, carotinoids assist chlorophylls in the process of photosynthesis. Carotinoid pigments are involved in forming the color of carrots. When a leaf has a high concentration of carotinoids relative to other pigments, the leaf usually appears yellow. A third class of pigments found in leaves is the anthocyanins. Anthocyanins absorb blue, blue-green and green light.