Storage of Food in

Living Things
PREPARED & PRESENTED BY: K. HARRISON
Storage in Animals
• Animals store mostly glycogen ( made of many glucose units) and fats. Proteins
are not stored, they are converted to fats and stored. 

• Other substances stored in animals are Vitamins A, B12 & D, and iron. 

• The storage organs in animals are Adipose Tissue, the liver, muscles. 

• Adipose Tissue is a set of cells that are rich in lipids. Animals store fat in adipose
tissue under the skin and around organs. If there is any excess glucose it is
converted to fat and stored
Storage in Animals
• The liver stores

vitamins A, B12 and D

Amino Acids are deaminated, they are not stored directly.

Deamination is when amino acids are converted to urea and

organic acids, these are then converted to carbohydrates and
used for energy, or broken down to other forms and stored as
fats in the liver.   

Iron comes from haemoglobin, when the liver breaks down

haemoglobin, the iron is stored there. 
 Storage in Animals
• Skeletal Muscle Cells store excess glucose as
glycogen. When energy is needed they break it
down to glucose and use in respiration. 

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

Storage in Plants
• The organic substances made during photosynthesis are transported to areas so
they an be stored.

• Plants store oil, starch, sugars and proteins. 

• The storage organs in plants are the stems, roots, leaves, fruits and seeds and
vegetative organs 
Storage in Plants
• Stems -  plants stems  store
sugars, mostly sucrose, in their
vacuoles. E.g. sugar cane. Some
stems store water. E.g. cacti

• Roots -  plants store starch in tap

roots. Tap are single vertical roots,
e.g turnip. Roots also store
sucrose e.g. carrots and sugar
beet. 

SUGAR BEETS.
Storage in Plants
• Fruits - some fruits store sugars.
E.g. apples, mangoes. Some fuits
store starch. Eg. Breadfruit. Some
fruits store oils. E.g. Caster plants,
olive plant. Some fruits store
vitamin c. e.g. grapes and
oranges
Storage in Plants
• Seeds - plant store sugars and nutrients in seeds for germination. Seeds have endosperms and
coyledons that nourish the growing embryo . 
 Storage in Plants
• Seeds
•   Starch in stored peas, rice and wheat. 
• Fats are stored in nuts, e.g. peanuts.
• Oils are stored in sunflower seeds.
• Proteins are stored in wheat and peas

• Leaves -  leaves store starch temporarily for

use later. Some leaves store water. E.g. aloe
vera. 
Storage in Plants
• Vegetative Organs – are underground structures that become swollen with food

and water by the time the plant gets to the end of a growing season. These

organs mostly store energy in the form of carbohydrates or water. They are mostly

underground for protection from herbivory and other environmental extremes. 

Storage in Plants
• Vegetative organs allow plants to survive during unfavorable conditions, like

during dry or winter season. They release water and nutrients slowly

• They allow rapid growth when favourable condition return

• They also have buds that allow for asexual reproduction

• Storage organs include roots, stems and leaves.

Storage in Plants
• Leaves which act as storage organs are bulbs. E.g.
Onion

• They contain layers that look like scales. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

• Outer layers are dry and protect the inner ones that
fleshy ones

• The fleshy leaves store starch in some species, e.g.

barbados snow drop, but onions store sugars

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

Storage in Plants
• Storage stems include rhizomes, corms and stem tubers

• Rhizomes are stems that grow horizontally, with soil.

• They have leaves that look scaly or they have scars where the
leaves were attached.

• They have buds

• Adventitious roots are also on rhizomes

• Khus khus grass stores oil, ginger stores carbohydrates and

other nutrients
Storage in Plants
• Corms are short and swollen. 

• They look like rhizomes turned vertically

• Leaf bases form a protective scaly layer

• They have buds

• They store food for the plant

• e.g. dasheen and garlic

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.

Storage in Plants

• Stem Tubers swollen parts of the stem, buried in the

soil This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.

• They have buds, and they store food, carbohydrates

and water

• e.g. is yam and irish potato

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

Storage in Plants
• Root storage organs are Root tubers 

§ They are swollen sections of root 

§ Root tubers have fine root hairs. 
§ Sweet Potato, cassava and dahlia are examples of root tubers 
§ They provide food to the plants, and as their stocks diminish, they shrink in size
§ They may last up to a year, providing nourishment, but when they are completely
used up at the end of the growing season, new tubers grow to replace them. 
Importance of Storage
• Food and water need to be stored:

• So there will be a supply when needed, like during winter or dry season when no
leaves are available for photosynthesis

• It eases the need for autotrophs to continuously make food

• Heterotrophs store food so they don't always need to be taking in food

• Stored food can help with vegetative reproduction 

• Embryos in plants and animals need stored food to develop

Importance of Storage
• Animals that hibernate need to eat a lot so their bodies store up energy and use
it during the times they are hibernating. E.g. bears

• Many animals, like whales and seals, store fat as blubber to insulate them in cold
climates, but it also acts as an energy source. 

• N.B. animals take in and store more food than their bodies are able to manage,
their bodies will keep adding to the stored energy/food, resulting in weight gain,
maybe even obesity.