Plastids: Types

Introduction

Cells are the functional and structural units of the body that are found in all living things. Cells are composed of protoplasm. It is joined via cell membranes or plasma membranes and also has a nucleus. The nucleus and cytoplasm make up protoplasm, which is one of the important components of the cell. Mitochondria, golgi bodies, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, lysosomes and plastids are all organelles located within the cytoplasm of the cells. The cell’s study is usually performed using a simple unicellular organism.

They are divided into two categories: prokaryotic and eukaryotic. Prokaryotic cells can be found in species belonging to the bacteria and archaea domains. Eukaryotic cells, on the other hand, are found in fungi, animals and plants. There are some structural and functional distinctions between these two types of cells.

Plastids are double-membrane organelles that can be discovered in plant cells as well as algae. Plastids play a role in the manufacturing and housing of food. They are commonly enriched with pigments that are employed in photosynthesis, as well as different kinds of pigments that alter the color of the cell.

Plastids can be located in all plant cells as well as in euglenoids. They are easy to identify under the microscope, considering that they are massive. They contain certain pigments, thereby giving certain colors to plants.

Types of Plastids:

There are various kinds of plastids, each with its own specific tasks. There are a few that are categorised according to whether or not they have biological pigments and the stages they go through in development.

Chloroplasts:

• Chloroplasts are biconvex in shape semi-porous, a double membrane, cell organelle that is found in the mesophyll of the cell of the plant

• They are the places to synthesize food via using photosynthesis

Chromoplasts:

• Chromoplasts refers to a specialty where all pigments need to be synthesized and stored within the plant

• They can be found in flowering plants as well as slightly older leaves and fruits

• Chloroplasts are converted into chromoplasts

• Chromoplasts are a source of carotenoid pigments

• They provide several colors that are noticeable in the fruit and leaves

• The primary reason for the distinguishing color is to attract pollinators

Gerontoplasts:

• These are basically chloroplasts, which belong to the aging process

• Geronoplasts refer to the chloroplasts in leaves that aid in the conversion into a variety of organelles once the leaf stops producing photosynthesis normally in the autumnal month

Leucoplasts:

• Found in the organelles that are not pigmented, that is colorless

• Leucoplasts are generally found in the majority of non-photosynthetic components of plants, such as the roots

• They serve as a storage area for carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, depending on the needs of the plant

• They are used to convert amino acids and fatty acids

Leucoplasts: It can be classified into three kinds:

• Amyloplasts: Amyloplasts are the most effective of all three, and they synthesise and store carbohydrates

• Proteinoplasts: Proteinoplasts assist in storing proteins that plants require and are usually present in the seeds

• Elaioplasts: Elaioplasts assist in the storage of fats and oils, which are required by plants

Inheritance of Plastids:

• There is a range of plants that have plastids that arrive from one parent

• Angiosperms receive plastids from the female gamete, while there are many gymnosperms who inherit pollen from males

• Algae inherit plastids of merely one parent

• The inheritance of plastids-DNA is strongly believed to be uniparental
• In hybridization, the inheritance of plastids appears to be more irregular