Plastids: Leucoplasts

• Leucoplasts are the colorless plastids found in storage organs.


• They are found in the parts of plants which are not exposed to light eg: embryonal cell, storage regions


• They are structurally similar with chloroplast but lack grana and pigments. Lamella is present.

 

Types of Leucoplasts

1) Amyloplasts

The amyloplasts are those Leucoplasts which synthesize and store starch. They are found in potato tubers and  grains of wheat and rice.

2) Eleioplasts (Oleosome or lipoplast)

The elioplasts store lipids (fat or oil) and are found in the seeds of groundnut, mustard, sunflower, cotton etc.

3) Proteinoplasts or Aleuronoplasts 

These are protein storing leucoplasts found in seeds of pulses and other seeds. They contain few thylakoids.

Functions

Leucoplasts are mainly concerned with storage of various kinds of food materials such as carbohydrates, lipids and proteins.