noun, plural: plastids
Its function largely depends on the presence of pigments. A plastid involved in food synthesis typically contains pigments, which are also the ones responsible for the color of a plant structure (e.g. green leaf, red flower, yellow fruit, etc.).
A plastid containing green pigment (chlorophyll) is called chloroplast whereas a plastid containing pigments apart from green is called chromoplast. A plastid that lacks pigments is called leucoplast, and is involved mainly in food storage. A leucoplast may be an amyloplast that stores starch, an elaioplast that stores fat, or a proteinoplast that stores proteins.
Word origin: G Plastide < Gk plastid-, s. of plástis, fem. deriv. of plástés modeler, creator, deriv. of plássein to form.