O le biosynthesis unconditioned o lycopene i eukaryotic laau ma i prokaryotic cyanobacteria e tutusa, e pei o le enzymes aafia. Synthesis amata i mevalonic acid, lea ua liua i dimethylallyl pyrophosphate. lea ua condensed ma tolu molecules o isopentenyl pyrophosphate (a isomer o dimethylallyl pyrophosphate), e tuuina atu le 20-carbon geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate. lua molecules o lenei oloa ua condensed lea i se siʻusiʻu-e-siʻu faatulagaga e tuuina atu le 40-carbon phytophenol, o le laasaga muamua i carotenoid biosynthesis. E ala i le tele o desaturation, phytophenol ua liua i lycopene.
liliu i le lycopene