Question
Biology Question on The Root
Sweet potato is homologous to
A
potato
B
Colocasia
C
ginger
D
turnip
Answer
turnip
Explanation
Solution
Sweet potato is homologous to turnip as both are adventitious roots that are modified to store food. Homologousimplies to the structural study of organisms that are closely related to one another but have undergone minor genetic modificationsowing to the surrounding environmental conditions. The similarities between sweet potato and turnip can be summarized as:
- They are both root modifications- Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a tuberous root, a modification of the adventitious root. Turnip is a napiform root (modified tap root for food storage).
- Sweet potato is a modified root for storage andvegetative propagationwhile turnip is modified for storage only.
- Both sweet potato and turnip have the same origin and so they are homologous with one another.
The other options, Ginger (rhizome), potato, and Colocasia are underground modified stems.
Read More: Tap Root Systems