Chloroplast

Chloroplast

Chloroplast is an organelle that converts solar energy to chemical energy. It contains chlorophyll which is needed for photosynthesis. Chloroplasts are only found in plants. Plants need to undergo photosynthesis in order to create energy from sugar and oxygen. After the chloroplasts obtain sugar, the mitochondria break it down so the cell can use it. Photosynthesis uses food and sugar for energy. Chloroplast are needed to make plants green. Chloroplast are made up of numerous membranes. Chloroplasts have an outer layer that helps it keep its shape like a cell walldoes for a plant cell. The chlorplast has an outer membrane called an envelope. This is similar to a cell membrane. It allows small molecules to pass through.

Sources http://library.thinkquest.org/C004535/chloroplast.htmlpage http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/chloroplasts/chloroplasts.html http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_chloroplast.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=cooper.section.1655 McDougal and Littell Biology, page 79