Question

The shape of starch granules in potato is
A. Oval, eccentric and simple
B. Oval, concentric and simple
C. Oval, eccentric, compound
D. Oval, concentric, compound

Answer 1

Hint: Starch is composed of long chains of sugar molecules linked together, in which a single molecule is termed as monosaccharide unit.

Complete answer: The starch is a carbohydrate composed of several monosaccharide units of sugar molecules joined together. It is a polysaccharide that has a high molecular weight. It consists of two types of molecules; amylase and amylopectin.

Starch functions as a reserve food material in plants. It is available in varying sizes in the organs of plants. Starch grains are tiny structures produced as a result of photosynthesis in plants. These minute grains are abundantly present in storage organs of plants, such as the underground stem, cereal grains, cortex of stems, tuberous roots, etc. It is present in high amounts in fruits, seeds, roots, rhizomes and comparatively lesser in leaves and stems. They vary in their shape and size, depending upon the content. This property can be used to identify plants. Depending upon the shape, they can be rounded, lenticular, oval, polyhedral and globular. The shape that they possess depends upon the condition under which granules have been formed. According to the position, they can be centric and eccentric. As per aggregation of granules, it can be simple, like in potato or aggregated like in rice.
For example;
In a pea plant, the starch granules can be oval or spherical.
In Colocasia, it is angular and elongated
Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Note: In case of humans and animals, the starch that is obtained from plants is first broken down into its constituent sugar molecules, which then supply energy to the tissues. Commercially, starch is obtained from corn, wheat, tapioca and potato.