How plants use glucose and starch

• plant and algal cells, like any other cell, respire all the time. they break down the glucose produced in photosynthesis to release energy for the cell. carbon dioxide and water are given off as waste products
• the energy transferred in respiration may be used to build large molecules from smaller ones. for example, glucose can be used to make cellulose to strengthen plant cell walls
• glucose can also be converted to starch for storage. glucose is soluble in water and affects the water concentration of the cell. starch is insoluble and doesnt cause water to move in or out by osmosis
• starch is stored in the cells of the leaves and provides an energy store for when it is dark. starch can also be stored in tubers or bulbs to help the plant survive through winter, for example in potatoes or onions
• plants use glucose to make amino acids by combining glucose with nitrate ions from the soil (or water for algae). these amino acids are then built up into proteins
• very few plants can survive in soils low in minerals, for example bogs. some carnivorous plants, such as venus flytraps, have adapted to living in these soils by obtaining their nutrients from insects
• Plants and algae also use glucose to make fats and oils which can be used as an energy store, for example in their seeds