Question

Your friend asks for your help checking their essay about sugar production and use in plants. They found a resource in a recent scientific journal article stating that plants produce glucose via photosynthesis. It states that glucose is linked together to form the carbohydrate starch. However, they also found a university website written by a biochemistry expert that states that glucose is linked together to form cellulose, the main part of plant cell walls.

In 3–5 sentences, describe how you can help your friend check their information and explain why both statements are true.

(4 points)

Answer 1

You can help your friend by explaining that both statements about glucose are true because they describe different processes and structures in plants. In photosynthesis, plants produce glucose, which can then be linked together to form various carbohydrates, including starch and cellulose. Starch is primarily used as an energy storage molecule, while cellulose is a structural component of cell walls, providing rigidity and strength to the plant. Therefore, it's important to recognize that glucose can serve multiple purposes in plants, leading to the formation of different polysaccharides based on the plant's needs.