In which organelle of seeds are stored oils converted to fatty acids and glycerol during germination?
In which organelle of seeds are stored oils converted to fatty acids and glycerol during germination?
Select an option to attempt
Correct Answer: Option C
Explanation
Glyoxysomes are specialised peroxisomes found in fatty seeds and seedling cotyledons. During germination, stored triacylglycerols are: (1) Hydrolysed to fatty acids + glycerol by lipases (in oil bodies/oleosomes); (2) Fatty acids transported to glyoxysome and activated to acyl-CoA; (3)-oxidation in glyoxysome: acyl-CoA → acetyl-CoA; (4) Glyoxylate cycle (unique to plants/fungi/bacteria, absent in animals): Isocitrate → succinate + glyoxylate (isocitrate lyase); glyoxylate + acetyl-CoA → malate (malate synthase). Net: 2 acetyl-CoA → 1 succinate; (5) Succinate exported to mitochondria → TCA → OAA → PEP → gluconeogenesis → sucrose for seedling growth. This allows plants to convert fat to carbohydrate — a pathway lacking in animals (no glyoxylate cycle).