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Where do plants store starch?
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sugar
Lines of sugarcane before harvest.
Plants store starch as a reserve food supply in the form of nearly spherical granules. These granules are primarily housed within specialized organelles called amyloplasts, which are colorless plastids dedicated to starch formation and storage. Additionally, starch can be stored within [chloroplasts].123
On a larger scale, plants store these starch granules in specific storage organs and tissues, including:
- Roots and Tubers: Such as the roots of the cassava plant and the potato tuber.2
- Seeds and Grains: Cereal grains like corn, wheat, and rice contain high concentrations of starch.12
- Stem Pith: Found in plants such as sago.2
- Parenchymatous cells: Many plants utilize these specialized cells specifically for the storage of starch.1