Which term describes a storage carbohydrate in plants that is used for energy?

Which term describes a storage carbohydrate in plants that is used for energy?

• A. Starch
• B. Glucose
• C. Lipid
• D. Cholesterol

Answer: (A)

Plants store energy as starch, a polysaccharide made from many glucose units. This form is ideal for storage because it’s largely insoluble in water, so it doesn’t pull in water and swell. Plants synthesize starch from glucose during photosynthesis and keep it in structures like amyloplasts for later use when energy is needed, such as at night or when photosynthesis isn’t happening. Glucose itself is a simple sugar used for immediate energy, lipids store energy as fats but aren’t carbohydrates, and cholesterol is a lipid component rather than a carbohydrate. So the term that describes a storage carbohydrate in plants used for energy is starch.

Plants store energy as starch, a polysaccharide made from many glucose units. This form is ideal for storage because it’s largely insoluble in water, so it doesn’t pull in water and swell. Plants synthesize starch from glucose during photosynthesis and keep it in structures like amyloplasts for later use when energy is needed, such as at night or when photosynthesis isn’t happening. Glucose itself is a simple sugar used for immediate energy, lipids store energy as fats but aren’t carbohydrates, and cholesterol is a lipid component rather than a carbohydrate. So the term that describes a storage carbohydrate in plants used for energy is starch.