
Amyloplasts in a potato cell
'Amyloplasts' (a specialized form of
leucoplasts) are non-
pigmented organelles found in
plant cells responsible for the storage of
starch through the
polymerisation of
glucose.
Large numbers of amyloplasts can be found in underground storage
tissues of some plants, such as
potato.
Amyloplasts are derived from
plastids, which are a specialized class of cellular organs. The plastids carry their own genome and are believed to be descendants of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) which formed a symbiotic relationship with the eukaryotic cell.
In the
root cap (a tissue at the tip of the
root) some specialized amyloplasts are thought to be involved in the perception of gravity by the plant (
gravitropism). These specialized amyloplasts can sediment according to the gravity vector and are called
statoliths.
Amyloplasts have various sizes
Compare
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Plastid
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Chloroplast and
etioplast
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Chromoplast
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Leucoplast
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★ Amyloplast
★
★
★
★
Statolith
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★
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Elaioplast
★
★
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Proteinoplast