Introduction to Plastids

This flashcard set covers the definition, types, structure, and evolutionary origins of plastids based on the lecture notes.

Plastids

A group of membrane-bound organelles found primarily in eukaryotic cells such as plants and algae, but notably absent from animal cells and fungi.

Chloroplasts

The most important plastid for the IMAT, responsible for photosynthesis by using the pigment chlorophyll to convert $CO_{2}$ and water into glucose and oxygen.

Chromoplasts

Plastids involved in pigment synthesis and storage that contain carotenoids and xanthophylls, responsible for colors in fruits, flowers, and autumn leaves.

Leucoplasts

Colorless plastids primarily involved in the synthesis and storage of starch, oils, and proteins, typically found in non-light exposed parts like roots and seeds.

Amyloplasts

A specialized type of leucoplast specifically used for the storage of starch.

Elaioplasts

A specialized type of leucoplast specifically used for the storage of oil.

Proteinoplasts

A specialized type of leucoplast specifically used for the storage of protein.

Double membrane envelope

The multi-layered structure that surrounds all plastids.

Circular DNA

The type of genetic material found within plastids that is similar to bacterial DNA, supporting the endosymbiotic theory.

Endosymbiotic Theory

The theory suggesting that plastids originated from ancient free-living prokaryotes, such as cyanobacteria, that were engulfed by an ancestral eukaryotic cell.

Carotenoids

Pigments found in chromoplasts that give certain vegetables, such as carrots, their orange color.

Cyanobacterium

The specific type of photosynthetic prokaryote involved in the symbiotic relationship that led to the origin of plastids.