Scanning electron micrograph of a slice through a raw potato, Solanum tuberosum, showing starch grains, or amyloplasts, within their cellular compartm


Scanning electron micrograph of a slice through a raw potato, Solanum tuberosum, showing starch grains, or amyloplasts, within their cellular compartments. Due to the angle of sectioning some cells show no starch grains. Starch is synthesised from sucrose, a sugar formed in the leaves during photosynthesis & transported to the tuber (potato) via the phloem (vascular tissue). It is used as a store of energy for the later development of buds on the surface of the potato. Starch grains are large (the biggest here being 50 microns across), larger than most plant cells. Mag: X600 (at 10x8 size).


Size: 4038px × 2781px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: amyloplast, botanical, botany, cell, cells, grain, plant, plastid, plastids, potato, raw, science, sem, solanum, starch, stem, structure, tuber, tuberosum