PRINCIPLE OF THE IODINE TEST FOR STARCH

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Starch is a polysaccharide consisting of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds.The
chains formed during the condensation reaction are either linear or highly branched molecules.

Linear - both straight and helical - molecules of starch are referred to as Amylose.

Whereas branched molecules of starch are calledAmylopectin.

Natural starches - from plants - consist of a mixture of amylose (10 - 25%) and amylopectin (7590%).The the structure of the helical amyloseis key to the Iodine-starch reaction. A helix is a
coil or a spring.
Iodine on its own (small non-polar molecule) is insoluble in water.Therefore Potassium triiodide
solution - Iodine dissolved in potassium iodide solution - is used as a reagent in the test.
To be more specific, potassium iodide dissociates, and then the Iodide ion reacts reversibly with
the Iodine to yield the the triiodide ion. A further reaction between a triiodide ion and an iodine
molecule yields the pentaiodide ion.
Since molecular iodine is always present in solution, the bench iodine solution appears brown;
the iodide and triiodide pentaiodide ions are colourless.
The triiodide and pentaiodide ions formed are linear and slip inside the helix of the amylose
(form of starch).

The starch-iodide complex is formed as charge - recall electrons are charged particles - is
transferred between the starch and iodide ion.The transfer of charge between the starch and the
iodide ion changes the spacing between the energy levels/ orbitals.This change results in the
starch-iodide complex absorbing light at a different wavelength - than any other species
aforementioned - resulting in an intense purple colour; Biologists call this colour blue-black.
Foods which are high in amylose have more intense blue-black colour. As the Beer-Lambert Law
is obeyed spectrometric analyses can quantify the quantity of amylose in starches.
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h_and_Iodine

Starch and Iodine

Table of Contents
1.
2.
3.

Introduction
Chemical Test for Starch or Iodine
Contributors
Plants store glucose as the polysaccharide starch; the cereal grains (wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley) as well as tubers
such as potatoes are also rich in starch. Starch can be separated into two fractions--amylose and amylopectin.
Natural starches are mixtures of amylose (10-20%) and amylopectin (80-90%).

Introduction
Amylose forms a colloidal dispersion in hot water whereas amylopectin is completely insoluble. The structure of
amylose consists of long polymer chains of glucose units connected by an alpha acetal linkage. Starch - Amylose
shows a very small portion of an amylose chain. All of the monomer units are alpha -D-glucose, and all the alpha
acetal links connect C #1 of one glucose and to C #4 of the next glucose.

As a result of the bond angles in the acetal linkage, amylose actually forms a spiral much like a coiled spring. See
the graphic below, which show four views in turning from a the side to an end view.

Chemical Test for Starch or Iodine

Amylose in starch is responsible for the formation of a deep blue color in the presence of iodine. The iodine molecule
slips inside of the amylose coil. Iodine - KI Reagent: Iodine is not very soluble in water, therefore the iodine reagent is
made by dissolving iodine in water in the presence of potassium iodide. This makes a linear triiodide ion complex with
is soluble that slips into the coil of the starch causing an intense blue-black color.

Starch Test: Add Iodine-KI reagent to a solution or directly on a potato or other materials such as bread, crackers, or
flour. A blue-black color results if starch is present. If starch amylose is not present, then the color will stay orange or
yellow. Starch amylopectin does not give the color, nor does cellulose, nor do disaccharides such as sucrose in
sugar.
Iodine Test: When following the changes in some inorganic oxidation reduction reactions, iodine may be used as an
indicator to follow the changes of iodide ion and iodine element. Soluble starch solution is added. Only iodine element
in the presence of iodide ion will give the characteristic blue black color. Neither iodine element alone nor iodide ions
alone will give the color result. This phenomenon is used in theiodine clock demonstration.

Contributors

Charles Ophardt, Professor Emeritus, Elmhurst College; Virtual Chembook

Metabolism
Table of Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Introduction
Catabolism
Anabolism
Organism Classifications
References
Outside links
Problems

8.

Contributors
(Greek: meltable, change) The biochemical processes by which all living organisms sustain life. Metabolism is the
sum of all chemical processes occurring within living cells and organisms. Although most living organisms on earth
share common pathways to sustain life they do so with the use of different sources of energy and carbon.

Introduction
Metabolism consists of two main types of reactions, catabolic and anabolic. Catabolic processes are ones in which
biomolecules are being degraded or oxidized. Anabolic processes are ones in which biomolecules are built via
biosynthesis and reduction. Below is a diagram of CO2 being reduced completely. Oxidation of methane can be seen
by following the process in reverse.

Catabolism
(Greek ketabole, throwing down) The biochemical processes of metabolism by which molecules are broken down.
Often catabolism is an oxidative process in which carbons have hydrogen atoms removed. CO 2 is the most reduced
form of carbon. NADH is the primary electron acceptor for catabolic reactions.

Anabolism
(Greek, ana, up, + bolein, to throw) The biochemical processes of metabolism by which molecules are synthesized
or built up. Often anabolism is a reductive process in which carbons have hydrogen atoms added. Fully saturated
fatty acids are the most reduced form of carbon. NADPH is the primary electron donator for anabolic reactions.

Organism Classifications
Classification

Carbon source

Energy source

Electron donor

Example

Photoautotroph

CO2

Light

H2O, H2S, S, inorganic

compounds

Green plants,
photosynthetic

bacteria
Photoheterotrophs

Organic
compounds

Light

Organic compounds

Nonsulfur purple
bacteria

Chemoautotrophs

CO2

Redox reactions

Inorganic compounds: H2,

H2S, NH4+, Fe2+

Hydrogen, sulfur
and iron bacteria

Chemoheterotrophs

Organic
compounds

Redox reactions

Organic compounds (e.g.

glucose)

All animals, most

microorganisms

References
1.
2.

Garrett, H., Reginald and Charles Grisham. Biochemistry. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 2008.
Raven, Peter. Biology. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 2005.

When glucose chains are sufficiently long they coil up like springs. This coil is supported by weak
links between the glucose molecules. These links break down at high temperatures and the glucose
chains uncoil, which is why the iodine test only works with cold wort and mash samples.
When the chains are longer than about 9 glucose molecules a triiodide ion (I 3-) fits inside the coil
(Figure 1). The resulting iodine-dextrin molecule absorbs light, which is the cause of the typical color
reaction between iodine and starch. The longer the glucose chains are the more iodine molecules fit
into the coils and the more intense the color reaction will be [2].
The resulting color depends on the length of the glucose chains. Shorter chains (starting at about 9
glucose molecules in unbranched chains and up to 60 glucose molecules in branches chains) give a
red color [1]. These dextrines are also called erythrodextrines. [3] Amylose, which consists of very long
glucose chains between occasional branch points and very large dextrines give a dark blue color
while amylopectin, which has much more branch points and shorter glucose chains between these
branch points, gives a more reddish color in the presence of iodine.