Two students, Renu and Rohit, were having a discussion on the plastids. Renu emphasised that all parts of the plants, even roots, contain plastids. However, Rohit did not agree with the statement and told her that plastids are absent in plant roots since the roots are underground and do not need to perform photosynthesis. Who is correct? Justify your answer.
Renu is correct. Although plant roots are underground and do not perform photosynthesis, they still contain plastids.
Plastids are not just for photosynthesis; they also help in storing food. Some plastids lack pigments and are colourless, known as leucoplasts. Leucoplasts store food materials such as starch, oils, or proteins.
For example, leucoplasts in potato and taro cells store starch. Since roots store food, they contain these colourless plastids. Therefore, Rohit is incorrect in assuming plastids are absent in roots just because photosynthesis does not occur there.
Explanation
Renu is correct because plastids include leucoplasts, which are colourless and store food like starch, oils, or proteins. Underground plant parts like potato and taro contain leucoplasts for starch storage. Rohit incorrectly assumed that plastids are only associated with chloroplasts and photosynthesis, ignoring the storage function of leucoplasts in roots.