Practice question

Carbon storage biochemistry reflects evolutionary divergence among major algal lineages. Green plants including charophytes and embryophytes polymerize photosynthetic glucose into alpha 1-4 amylose and branched amylopectin starch grains housed within plastids surrounded by double membrane and often thylakoids, stain blue-black with iodine solution. In contrast, red algae store floridean starch in cytosol, brown algae store laminarin beta glucan, euglenoids store paramylon, animals and fungi store highly branched glycogen. Starch storage inside plastid represents shared derived innovation supporting monophyly of Viridiplantae and adaptation to terrestrial life.