Question

Sweet potato is a modification of
A. Leaf
B. Root
C. Stem
D. Flowering axis

Answer 1

The sweet potato contains lots of carbohydrates and fats inside it. In the sweet potato plant the space for storage of nutrients is limited to the modified plant only. Also, the sweet potato grows inside the soil and not above the ground.

Complete answer: For this question, let us consider all the options with regard to the sweet potato. We all have seen sweet potatoes; its shape is like a tuber and mostly is of dark color. For sweet potato to be a modified leaf then the leaf of any plant cannot be as heavy as a potato is. The leaves are generally light weight and they have venation over their surface which is not seen in the sweet potato. Also, the color of any leaf is green due to the presence of chlorophyll pigments. The sweet potato does not show any similarity with the characters of leaf. Therefore, option A is incorrect.
The other options provided to us are of root, stem and the flowering axis. The sweet potato belongs to the family of potato and they are known to be growing inside the soil, because of which we can say that it cannot be a flowering axis as they grow above the ground level. If the flowering axis is under ground then there will be difficulty in producing flowers and achieving pollination which is essential for reproduction.
The last option to consider is only the root and it is the correct answer as the sweet potatoes are the modifications of the adventitious roots and have the function of storing nutrients. Due to the storage of nutrients the sweet potato achieves the shape of tuber and is generally of dark color.
So, the correct answer is “Option B”.

Note:
This question can also be solved easily by comparing the sweet potato with the normal potato as they both have the same family and both grow under the soil. The potato is a modification of the stem which produces buds through which new plants develop.