Question:

Sweet potato is homologous to

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Evolution in organisms brings about changes that help the organism adapt to environmental conditions, the process of natural selection, etc. Evolutions bring about varied physiological changes which determine the response of these organisms to their natural surroundings.  

Updated On: Jul 3, 2023
  • potato
  • Colocasia
  • ginger
  • turnip
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Sweet potato is homologous to turnip as both are adventitious roots that are modified to store food. Homologous implies to the structural study of organisms that are closely related to one another but have undergone minor genetic modifications owing to the surrounding environmental conditions. The similarities between sweet potato and turnip can be summarized as:

  • They are both root modifications-  Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a tuberous root, a modification of the adventitious root. Turnip is a napiform root (modified tap root for food storage).
  • Sweet potato is a modified root for storage and vegetative propagation while turnip is modified for storage only.
  • Both sweet potato and turnip have the same origin and so they are homologous with one another. 

The other options, Ginger (rhizome), potato, and Colocasia are underground modified stems. 

Read More: Tap Root Systems

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Concepts Used:

Root

A Root refers to the vascular part of any plant which is pinpointed or discovered at the lowest level and is entirely responsible for connecting the plant with the soil. It absorbs water (H20), minerals, nutrients, etc., and further feeds the plant for its development. Roots are also responsible for acting as the repository for food and nutrients of the plant.

Read More: Plant Roots

Characteristics of Roots:

  1. Roots are homogeneous in nature due to their potential to work towards producing similar organs like secondary or tertiary roots from the pericycle.
  2. Roots can be examined as positively Geotropic and Hydrotropic but negatively Phototropic.

Functions of Roots:

  1. The roots are in charge of providing a systematic connection to the different parts of the plant.
  2. It is also accountable for the storage of the reserved food material and the synthesis for the growth of the plant.