How do plants store and use energy?

Question

How do plant cells store energy? Also, how do plant cells use the energy?

Answer 1

Hi, Plants store their energy in the form of starch, which is a complex carbohydrate that can be broken down into a simple carbohydrate (glucose) for the plant to use for energy. Plant cells store starch in storage organelles like all cells do. (vacuoles). When the cells need to process the stored energy, the starch is broken down into glucose which enters the mitochondria to release the stored energy during the Kreb's cycle.

Answer 2

Harry,

 

Plants mainly store energy as glucose and relatively their energy storage is limited in comparison to animals.

 

Plants primarily use energy to synthesize their food during photosynthesis when they utilize solar energy.

 

Please look at specific steps of photosynthesis to understand the energy use during the plant life cycle.

 

Hope this helps and if you have additional questions about photosynthesis steps and related biochemical pathways that utilize energy (ATP) then please post, I shall be happy to explain.

 

Dr. Naina B