Plastids 101: Cell Structures Education

There are life forms in this world that people can barely appreciate because of their very small structures but seemingly significant role in biological processes. Plastids are such structures that need to be comprehended more to appreciate plant life and processes down to its cellular level.

What Are Plastids?

Plastids are specialized structures that can be found in the cells of plants, algae and protista Among the living cells, these are the ones that can be clearly seen under the microscope. One will need to make use of a light microscope to be able to see them clearly. There are classes among plastids. There are the leucoplasts. These are colorless. They are useful in the storage of food molecules. Take for example the starch plastids called amyloplasts that are commonly found in the cell structures of potatoes. The colored plastids are called the chromoplasts. Among green plants, the colored plastids in action are the chloroplasts.

The Components of Plastids

To be able to further appreciate the components of plastids, particularly the ones found in plants, it is important to take note from where these organelles are derived. The origins of plastids are claimed to be from the endosymbiotic cyanobacteria. These will then grow into 1500 mya. In plants structures, it is important to look at the meristematic regions. These regions have proplastids or those components that are formerly known as the eoplasts. Proplastids contain one nucleoid and it can be found at the core of these regions. These are crucial to ensure the oxygen production of the eukaryotes. The plastids that are able to evolve in the plant structures are known as the chloroplasts.

The chloroplasts plastids can be specifically located in the cytoplasmic matrix area for the plant cells. They are very small with their ovoid or sometimes spherical shapes. These chloroplasts have double membranes. The inner membranes of these plastids are rich in protein substance called the stroma. These stromas then form a series that is called the granal network.

Granal networks are distinguishable because of their three-dimensional formation of cavities. When these cavities or vesicles are formed, they become known as the thylakoids. These thylakoids are responsible for storing green chlorophyll a and b. These are the elements that factor in to make the photosynthetic process possible.