Chloroplast is one of the three types of plastids. The chloroplasts take part in the process of photosynthesis and it is of great biological importance. Animal cells do not have chloroplasts. All green plant take part in the process of photosynthesis which converts energy into sugars and the byproduct of the process is oxygen that all animals breathe. This process happens in chloroplasts. The distribution of chloroplasts is homogeneous in the cytoplasm of the cells and in certain cells chloroplasts become concentrated around the nucleus or just beneath the plasma membrane. A typical plant cell might contain about 50 chloroplasts per cell.
Chloroplast Definition
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The word chloroplast is derived from the Greek word "chloros" meaning "green" and "plastes" meaning "the one who forms". The chloroplasts are cellular organelles of green plants and some eukaryotic organisms. These organelles conduct photosynthesis. They absorb sunlight and convert it into sugar molecules and also produce free energy stored in the form of ATP and NADPH through photosynthesis. Chloroplasts are unique organelles and are said to have originated as endosymbiotic bacteria.
Chloroplast Diagram
Chloroplast Structure
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Chloroplasts found in higher plants are generally biconvex or planoconvex shaped. In different plants chloroplasts have different shapes, they vary from spheroid, filamentous saucer-shaped, discoid or ovoid shaped.
They are vesicular and have a colorless center. Some chloroplasts are in shape of club, they have a thin middle zone and the ends are filled with chlorophyll. In algae a single huge chloroplast is seen that appears as a network, a spiral band or a stellate plate.
The size of the chloroplast also varies from