|Section2= |Section3= }} β-Carotene's an organic compound - a terpenoid, a red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. As a carotene with β-rings at both ends, it's the most common form of carotene. It's a precursor (inactive form) of vitamin A. Being highly conjugated, it's deeply colored, and as a hydrocarbon lacking functional groups, it's very lipophilic. The structure was deduced by Karrer et al. In nature, β-carotene's a precursor to vitamin A via the action of beta-c… (More on Beta-carotene)