Question

How do plants store glucose for later?

Answer 1

Hint Photosynthesis is the main process that takes place in plants for the formation of food in the form of carbohydrates with oxygen as a byproduct. Carbohydrate gets exported to other parts of the plant or gets stored in the form of starch granules in leaves and other parts of the plant.

Complete answer:
Photosynthesis is a Physico-chemical process which helps to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrate and oxygen with the help of sunlight. These carbohydrates get stored in the form of a long polysaccharide chain known as starch which gets broken down in monosaccharide glucose. This glucose molecule gets broken down during cellular respiration with the supply of ATP. In case of no use, it remains stored in the form of tiny structures like starch granules in the plant leaves. Starch granules are semi-crystalline which consist of two polymers of glucose known as amylose and amylopectin. These starch granules also get stored in plant tubers, bulbs, roots,, and rhizomes. Starch is the main source of energy in living organisms. The small size of crops consists of millions of starch granules. A small hilum is present in starch grain where protein forms, and due to deposition of protein it forms different types of structure.

Additional information:
Photosynthesis is a very important process as it helps in the production of food for both autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms, it also helps in the production of fodder, timber, firewood, fibers, resin, drugs, coal, petroleum, natural gas, etc. Photosynthesis generates oxygen which is efficient in the utilization and breakdown of the respiratory substrate and also in the formation of ozone In the stratosphere which filters out UV radiation.

Note: Chloroplast helps to perform photosynthesis and apart from photosynthesis it also has some unique features like photosynthetic machinery. Photosynthetic machinery helps to convert light energy into its stable form which can last for hundreds of years in case of energy transducing reactions.