How plants use glucose

Plants use glucose in SIX different ways.

• Respiration
• Fruits
• Cell Walls
• Proteins
• Seeds
• Starch

The way to remember all six is to remember: rainbow fruits call proteins sensibly styled.

These cards will look at each one in detail.

All cells respire. Plant cells, animal cells, fluffy bunny cells - every single cell.

In order to respire, cells need glucose.

So some of the glucose created by photosynthesis is transported straight to all the cells, and used for respiration.

The energy created by respiration is used for growth, repair, and movement (I know plants don't move much, but sunflowers turn to face the sun).

Glucose and fructose can be used to make fruits. Fruits are great for plants because seeds can be stored inside them. Then, hopefully, animals will come along and drop the seeds on the ground.

This helps the plants to reproduce, and is also a good way for plants to store excess glucose. However, not all plants choose to produce fruits.

Glucose is used by all plants to make celulose cell walls. If the plant wants to repair itself or grow, then it needs to create new cells, and so more cells walls. The cell walls can also be damaged easily.

All plants use glucose to create new cell walls.

Glucose and nitrates (gained from the soil) can be used to make amino acids, which join together to make proteins.

All plants use glucose to make proteins, so that they can grow. This is also why plants that are deficient in nitrogen have stunted growth.

All plants need to reproduce, and they do so by producing and scattering seeds. Glucose is transformed into lipids (fat) and is stored in seeds.

These seeds are then either stored in fruits (eg apples), scattered to the wind (eg dandelions) or use animals to move their seeds (eg goosegrass).

Glucose is very difficult to store (that's why we store it as fat). Plants store glucose as starch, which can be stored in the roots, stems or leaves.

Vegetables that grow underground such as potatoes, carrots and parsnips are made up of starch. When we eat the starch, we break the starch down into glucose again, so that we can store it.

All cells respire. Plant cells, animal cells, fluffy bunny cells - every single cell.

In order to respire, cells need glucose.

So some of the glucose created by photosynthesis is transported straight to all the cells, and used for respiration.

The energy created by respiration is used for growth, repair, and movement (I know plants don't move much, but sunflowers turn to face the sun).

Glucose and fructose can be used to make fruits. Fruits are great for plants because seeds can be stored inside them. Then, hopefully, animals will come along and drop the seeds on the ground.

This helps the plants to reproduce, and is also a good way for plants to store excess glucose. However, not all plants choose to produce fruits.

Glucose is used by all plants to make celulose cell walls. If the plant wants to repair itself or grow, then it needs to create new cells, and so more cells walls. The cell walls can also be damaged easily.

All plants use glucose to create new cell walls.

Glucose and nitrates (gained from the soil) can be used to make amino acids, which join together to make proteins.

All plants use glucose to make proteins, so that they can grow. This is also why plants that are deficient in nitrogen have stunted growth.

All plants need to reproduce, and they do so by producing and scattering seeds. Glucose is transformed into lipids (fat) and is stored in seeds.

These seeds are then either stored in fruits (eg apples), scattered to the wind (eg dandelions) or use animals to move their seeds (eg goosegrass).

Glucose is very difficult to store (that's why we store it as fat). Plants store glucose as starch, which can be stored in the roots, stems or leaves.

Vegetables that grow underground such as potatoes, carrots and parsnips are made up of starch. When we eat the starch, we break the starch down into glucose again, so that we can store it.