If some trees (apples, oranges) produce sugars in their fruit from photosynthesis, how do other trees produce fats in their fruit – specifically avocados?

Question

If some trees (apples, oranges) produce sugars in their fruit from photosynthesis, how do other trees produce fats in their fruit – specifically avocados?

In: 11

Answer 1

Plants are masters of biochemistry. Photosynthesis itself is a small miracle (metaphorically speaking of course) but photosynthesis only makes sugar. However the rest of the plant can use sugars as a fuel source just like animals do and ‘burn’ it as a source of energy to power other biochemical reactions, including building fats from other sugars (lipogenesis, which animals also do). Aside from sugars and fats, plants also make their own proteins, including making the raw amino acids from nitrogen in the soil plus CO2 and water. Animals can make some amino acids from others, but we can’t make them all from scratch, another reason why we’re ultimately dependent on plants for all our nutritional needs.