Plants make sugars using CO2, water and sunlight. A number of plants also make a lot of fats, such as nuts, peanuts and avocados.
How do plants convert sugars into fats?
Answer
This requires a lot of biochemical reactions.
In glycolysis (a biochemical process in 10 steps that converts glucose sugar into pyruvic acid), dihydroxyacetone phosphate is released in one of the steps. Glycerol can be formed with this. Fatty acids can be made from pyruvic acid. Fatty acids and glycerol are the building blocks of lipids (= fats or oils).
The production of fats or oils in seeds and fruits is a way to store energy. In seeds and fruits, that oil is stored in cell organelles called elaioplasts.
Answered by
Koen Es
Botany
Nieuwelaan 38 1860 Meise
http://www.plantentuinmeise.be
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