Plastids
Plastids are double membrane bound organelles found inside plants and some algae, which are primarily responsible for activities related to making and storing food. Many plastids are photosynthetic, but some are not. Some of the most common plastids include: chloroplasts, chromoplasts, gerontoplasts, and leucoplasts. The chloroplasts are probably the most known of the Plastids. Chromoplasts are found in flowering plants, fruits and aging leaves. These are a place for the pigments to be stored and synthesized in the plants. Gerontoplasts are chloroplasts of the leaves that are beginning to convert into different organelles or are being repurposed since the leaf is no longer utilizing photosynthesis. Leucoplasts are the non-pigmented organelles. Unlike the others, leucoplasts have no color at all. They are found in the non-photosynthetic parts of the plant, uch as the root. Depending on the plants, these can be used as storage sheds for starches, lipids, and proteins. Leucoplasts are subdivided into three different plastids: Amyloplasts, proteinoplasts, and elaioplasts. Amyloplasts are the largest of the three and are charged with storing starch. Then there are the proteinoplasts that help to store the proteins that a plant needs are typically found in seeds. Finally, the elaioplasts are used to store fats and oils that are needed by the plant, specifically in seeds.