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The chloroplast is a green organelle found in plant and algae cells. It is best known as the site of photosynthesis, the process that allows plants to make their own food. Chloroplasts use sunlight as their energy source.

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Chloroplasts perform several jobs for the cell. Their most important role is producing glucose during photosynthesis, but they also release oxygen, store starch and lipids, and give plants their green color through chlorophyll.

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Chloroplasts are found only in plant and algae cells, usually in leaf cells, where they can absorb the most sunlight. A single cell can contain 20–100 chloroplasts, showing how important and compact they are. They also work closely with mitochondria and chloroplasts to make glucose, while mitochondria break it down to release usable energy for the cell. Chloroplasts are semi-independent because they contain their own DNA and ribosomes, allowing them to make some of their own proteins.

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The history of the chloroplast is very interesting. Scientists believe they evolved from free living cyanobacteria engulfed by larger cells over a billion years ago, a process known as endosymbiosis theory. Evidence for this includes their double membranes, their own DNA, and their ability to divide like bacteria. Chloroplasts were first observed under microscopes in the 1800s, but their ability to engage in photosynthesis was only fully understood in the 20th century.

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Khan Academy. (n.d.). Chloroplasts and mitochondria. Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/cells/organelles/a/chloroplasts-and-mitochondria

Science Facts. (2021, September 10). Chloroplast. Science Facts. https://www.sciencefacts.net/chloroplast.html

Byju’s. (n.d.). Diagram, structure and function of chloroplast. Byju’s. https://byjus.com/biology/chloroplasts/

CD Genomics. (n.d.). Chloroplast fact sheet: Definition, structure, genome, and function. CD Genomics. https://www.cd-genomics.com/blog/chloroplast-fact-sheet-definition-structure-genome-and-function/

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What is Chloroplast

The chloroplast is a type of cell organelle called plastids found in plants and blue-green algae. It contains the pigment chlorophyll that traps the light energy of the sun to convert them to the chemical energy of food by a process called photosynthesis. The word 'chloroplast' is derived from the Greek words 'chloros', which means 'green,' and 'plastes', meaning 'the one who forms'.

Hugo von Mohl first discovered chloroplast in 1837, while Eduard Strasburger, in 1884, adopted the term 'chloroplasts'.

Chloroplast

Where is Chloroplast Found in Plants

Structure and Parts

In higher plants, they are generally biconvex or planoconvex in shape while in others it varies from spheroid, filamentous, discoid to ovoid. The average size of the chloroplast is 4-6 Âµ in diameter and 1-3 Âµ in thickness. It has the following parts:

1. Double Membrane: Outer and inner membrane

2. Intermembrane Space: Present between the two membranes with a space of about 10-20 nm

3. Thylakoid: Flattened disc-shaped structures, they are the fundamental unit of chloroplast

4. Grana: Stacks of thylakoids. Each granum contains approximately 10-20 thylakoids

5. Stroma: Colorless fluid surrounding the grana and present inside the inner membrane, similar to the cytoplasm of a cell

6. Stroma Lamella: Connects adjacent thylakoid sacs or grana

7. DNA: Genetic material of chloroplast

Functions

The two main functions of the chloroplast are: 1) synthesizing food using solar energy by the process of photosynthesis, and 2) producing energy in the form of high-energy phosphate molecule - ATP.
Other Important Functions:

Producing NADPH, the reducing agent required to synthesize glucose in the dark reaction of photosynthesis and also in other biosynthetic pathways

Releasing molecular oxygen (O₂) by photolysis of water

Providing protection to plants against pathogens along with nucleus, cell membrane and endoplasmic reticulum of the cell

Reproducing independently from the rest of the cell, since it has its own DNA

Producing amino acids and lipids required for the production of chloroplast membrane

FAQs

Q3. Do fungi have chloroplasts?

Q5. Why is chloroplast green?

Article was last reviewed on Wednesday, July 15, 2020

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Chloroplast - Definition, Structure, Functions with Diagram

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The chloroplast is a type of cell organelle called plastids found in plants and blue-green algae. It contains the pigment chlorophyll that traps the light energy of the sun to convert them to the chemical energy of food by a process called photosynthesis.

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If chloroplasts don’t get enough sunlight, plants can’t make food and may wilt or die.

They’re responsible for starting the food chain by creating energy, so without them, life on Earth wouldn’t exist as we know it.

Chloroplasts can move around inside plant cells to catch the best sunlight, almost like sun-seeking solar panels.

They can divide independently of the cell, using a process similar to bacterial fission.

They are responsible for the seasonal colors in leaves when chlorophyll breaks down, and other pigments become visible.