Question
Question: Carbohydrates are commonly found as starch in plant storage organs. Which of the following five prop...
Carbohydrates are commonly found as starch in plant storage organs. Which of the following five properties of starch (a-e) make it useful as a storage material?
(a) Easily translocated
(b) Chemically less reactive
(c) Easily digested by animals
(d) Osmotically inactive
(e) Synthesized during photosynthesis
The useful properties are
A (a), (c) and (e)
B (a) and (e)
C (b) and (c)
D (b) and (d)
Solution
Hint The main product of photosynthesis is glucose, which is a common carbohydrate found in plants. Disaccharides are created by combining two monosaccharides. Sugars like sucrose and lactose are other names for them.
Complete step by step answer:
Carbohydrates can be used as an immediate source of energy by almost all cells, but in many photosynthetic species, a considerable amount of the carbohydrates is used to make structural molecules, such as cellulose in cell walls, or to store products like starch.
Photosynthesis-produced carbohydrates are well-known in plants for their crucial roles as energy sources and carbon skeletons for organic molecules and storage components. Furthermore, because sugars have ROS scavenging characteristics, there is rising evidence for their involvement as antioxidants.
Carbohydrates are produced by green plants in the form of monosaccharide sugars such as glucose and fructose. Carbohydrates are transported in the form of sucrose disaccharide. Carbohydrates are stored in tubers and other storage organs such as fruits and seeds as starch. Osmotically, starch is inactive. As a result, starch storage has no effect on the water potential in cell sap.
Furthermore, starch is a polysaccharide, which means it is less chemically reactive than monosaccharide forms. These two qualities are the most crucial factors in plants' decision to use starch as a storage polysaccharide.
As a result, option D is the proper response.
Note: Carbohydrates are used by both plants and animals as a source of energy for typical tasks like growth, locomotion, and metabolism. Carbohydrates store energy in the form of starch, which can be either simple or complex sugars depending on the type of carbohydrate.