Question

Describe wax in plants.

Answer 1

Wax in plants:

1. Waxes are simple lipids that differ from neutral fats by having only one molecule of the long fatty acid chain in addition to glycerol and one molecule of high molecular weight alcohol.
2. They are insoluble in water, soft when heated, and hard when cold.
3. They have a high melting point and are saponified with greater difficulty than fats.
4. In plants, wax is present in the form of a waxy coat that protects the fruits and leaves from the attack of microbes and also prevents excessive transpiration.