Need help in analyzing image planes

% CODE 1

% Read RGB image

x = imread('Lena.jpg');

rPlane = x(:,:,1);

imshow(rPlane) % Displays Red Plane in Lena.jpg image

%%%%%

% CODE 2

y = imread('Lena.jpg');

y(:,:,2) = 0;

y(:,:,3) = 0;

imshow(y);

% I need to know about this displayed

% image 'y' with 'G' and 'B' planes all zeros

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

They both look "right" - what's the problem? They are different in that code 1 extracts the red channel as a monochrome image and it will display as grayscale (unless you applied a colormap), whereas code 2 leaves the image as RGB. Code 2 just zeros out the green and blue so the image will show the red channel as a red hue. What do you want to do? Neither is right or wrong it just depends on what you want to do with the different color channels.

[MKN]

I wanted to know why the 'red' color appears in CODE2. I have better clarity now. Thanks IA.