Emily places a thin slice of potato under a microscope to ex

Emily places a thin slice of potato under a microscope to examine the grains of starch over a period of several days. The grains of starch gradually disintegrate. The following day she places a new slice of potato under the microscope and adds a drop of chemical X. Over the next few minutes, the grains of starch disintegrate just as they did in the previous potato, but this time it requires minutes instead of days. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the difference?

A. Chemical X is an energy carrier molecule that removed energy from the starch

B. Chemical X is an enzyme that breaks down starch

C. Chemical X is also made of starch, and bonded with the starch in the potatoes

D. Chemical X supplied the activation energy necessary for the starch to break down

E. Chemical X is a lipid that bonds to the water molecules in the starch, causing the grains to fall apart

Solution

Chemical X is an enzyme that breaks down starch

1) ENZYMES has many applications as disintegrator

2) Mainly two types are

a) Amylopectin molecules

b) Amylase molecules

3) Maximum disintegration of potato starch is take a few minutes