Your friend asks for your help checking their essay about sugar production and use in plants. They have found an online encyclopedia stating that plants produce glucose via photosynthesis. Glucose is linked together to form the carbohydrate starch. They are confused, though, because a university website states that glucose is linked together to form cellulose, the main part of plant cell walls.
In 3–5 sentences, describe how you can help your friend check their information and how both statements can be true.
I can help my friend by suggesting that they cross-reference the information from multiple reliable sources to ensure accuracy. Both statements can be true because plants do produce glucose through photosynthesis, which can be used to form starch as a carbohydrate storage molecule. Additionally, glucose can also be used to form cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls. The utilization of glucose for different purposes by plants is based on their specific needs and metabolic processes.
To help your friend check their information, you can suggest the following steps:
1. Verify the information from credible sources: It is important to check the credibility of the online encyclopedia and the university website. Look for reputable sources such as scientific journals or textbooks to confirm the accuracy of the statements.
2. Understand different plant components: Explain to your friend that plants produce glucose through photosynthesis. This glucose molecule can then be used to synthesize various carbohydrates, including starch and cellulose. Starch is mainly used for energy storage in plants, while cellulose forms the structural component of plant cell walls.
3. Emphasize the context: Clarify that both statements can indeed be true, as they describe different aspects of glucose utilization in plants. Glucose can be linked together to form starch for energy storage purposes, while another set of glucose molecules can be linked together in a different way to form cellulose, which serves as a structural support for plant cells.
By following these steps and understanding the context of the statements, your friend can ensure the accuracy of their essay regarding sugar production and use in plants.