What are plastids how many types of plastids known and how does one distinguish from?
Answers
Plastids are double membrane-bound organelles found inside plants and some algae, which are primarily responsible for activities related to making and storing food. Many plastids are photosynthetic, but some are not.
Some of the most common plastids include:
Chloroplasts-The chloroplasts are probably the most-known of the plastids. These are responsible for photosynthesis. The chloroplast is filled with thylakoids, which is where photosynthesis occurs, and chlorophyll.
Chromoplasts-Chromoplasts are what the name describes, a place for the pigments to be stored and synthesized in the plant. These are found in flowering plants, fruits, and aging leaves. The chloroplasts actually convert over to chromoplasts. There are carotenoid pigments here that allow for the different colors you see in fruits and the fall leaves. One of the main reasons for these structures and the colors is to attract pollinators.
Gerontoplasts-Gerontoplasts are basically chloroplasts that are going through the aging process. These are chloroplasts of the leaves that are beginning to convert into different organelles or are being re-purposed, since the leaf is no longer utilizing photosynthesis (such as in the fall months).
Leucoplasts-Leucoplasts are the non-pigmented organelles. Unlike the others we have talked about, leucoplasts have no color at all. They are found in the non-photosynthetic parts of the plant, such as the roots. Depending on what the plant needs, they may become essentially just storage sheds for starches, lipids, and proteins. They are more readily used for synthesizing amino acids and fatty acids.
I hope this is useful!!
well the organelle which gives the green colour to the leaves is known as plastids it is present only in plant cells. Plastids have double membrane and they are of two types
1) Leucoplasts - white or colourless plastids
and
2) Chromoplasts - coloured plastids
Hope it helps you out