Answer :
Final answer:
The correct answer is a) starch. When consuming potatoes, the stored plant food obtained is starch, which is a complex carbohydrate composed primarily of glucose units. Starch serves as an energy reserve in plants and is easily digested in the human body to provide cells with glucose.
Explanation:
The correct answer is a) starch. When you eat potatoes, you are getting a kind of stored plant food called starch. Starch is a complex carbohydrate that plants, including potatoes, store as energy. This starch is made up of repeating units of glucose and other simple sugars. Plants produce glucose through photosynthesis, and this glucose is then stored as starch in various plant parts like roots, tubers, and seeds.
For instance, the underground tubers of potato plants are where these sugars are converted and stored as starch. When we consume starchy foods, our digestive system works to break down the starch into sugars, which our cells can use for energy. Enzymes such as amylase, which is found in saliva, play an essential role in digesting starches. The digestion of starch yields glucose that our bodies can use as a fuel source.