Fargebærende

Fargebærende is a Norwegian adjective describing something that carries or contains color. It is used to refer to substances, tissues, or structures that display color because they possess pigments or other coloring agents. The term can describe both the pigment itself and the part of an organism or object in which the pigment is stored or shown. It is typically contrasted with colorless or faintly colored counterparts.

Etymology and usage in language: The word is built from farge (color) and bærende (bearing, carrying), rooted in Norwegian. In scientific contexts, fargebærende is used to specify that a tissue or cell derives its appearance from pigments, rather than from light scattering alone. It is common in descriptions of biological coloration where pigments such as melanin, chlorophyll, carotenoids, or anthocyanins are involved.

Applications in biology: In biology and zoology the term appears with phrases like fargebærende celler or fargebærende strukturer, referring to pigment-containing cells such as melanocytes, chromatophores, or photosynthetic tissues in plants. In botany, petals, fruits, and other organs may be described as fargebærende when their coloration is due to pigments. The concept helps explain variation in color among species, developmental stages, or environmental conditions.

Other domains: In textiles, printing, and food science, fargebærende materials describe dyes and pigments that confer color to fibers, paper, or food products, emphasizing the presence of pigment rather than its binding or durability alone.

See also: pigment, chromatophore, melanin, anthocyanin, dye.