Final answer:
The storage carbohydrate found in plants is starch. It is a polysaccharide made of glucose units and serves as an energy reserve, stored in various plant parts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The name of the storage carbohydrate found in plants is starch. Starch is a complex carbohydrate and a polysaccharide that consists of a large number of glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. It is a mixture of two forms: about 20% to 25% amylose, which is a linear polymer of glucose, and 75% to 80% amylopectin, which is a branched form.
Starch serves as a way for plants to store excess glucose, which is a simple sugar and a monosaccharide with the chemical formula C6H12O6. When plants synthesize glucose and have a surplus, the extra glucose is stored as starch in parts such as roots and seeds.
This starch can later be used by the plants as an energy source during periods when photosynthesis is not possible, such as during the night or when the plant is dormant.
In contrast, animals use a different polysaccharide called glycogen for energy storage. While starch and cellulose are both important carbohydrates in plants, the former serves as an energy reserve while the latter is a structural component of the cell walls.