Question

Have you ever heard that a potato is a starchy vegetable? Starch is a carbohydrate, like the sugars glucose, sucrose and lactose. How did this plant form the starch that is in the potatoes? Explain the process in a few sentences, beginning with the sunlight.

Answer 1

Yes, I have heard that potato is a starchy vegetable. Starch is a carbohydrate, like any other sugars such as glucose sucrose and lactose. Starch is synthesized inside the potato plant through photosynthesis.

Explanation:

• Starch is a complex carbohydrate which is made up of combination of monomers of glucose.

• This glucose is synthesized by the process of photosynthesis.

• This process occurs during the daytime, in the 'presence of sunlight'.

• The energy obtained from the sun is 'trapped' by the pigment called 'Chlorophyll' which is present in the leaves.

• This converts the solar energy into chemical energy that is glucose which in turn is stored in the plant in the form of starch.