IJPH

Group No. 2
Cabacungan, Cacabelos, Canlas, Capiral, Capulong, Carlos

Starch as Indirect Evidence of Photosynthesis

I. Introduction

V. Results

The group performed the experiment entitled

Starch as an evidence of Photosynthesis. According
to Vidyasagar (2015), photosynthesis is the process
used by plants, algae and certain bacteria to harness
energy from the sunlight into chemical energy.
Glucose is a product of photosynthesis which later on
stored into starch. The presence of starch in the
leaves would mean that photosynthesis occurred.
The proponents specifically tested the starch content
in the leaves of Mayana (Coleus blumei).
II. Objectives
a. To determine if photosynthesis occurred in both
leaves
b. To determine if starch can be an evidence of
photosynthesis
c. To determine the presence of starch in green and
violet zones
III. Materials
Mayana (Coleus blumei) Water
95% ethyl alcohol
Petri dish
Iodine solution
IV.
Methodology
Beaker
IV. Methodology
1. Five leaves of the Mayana were covered with carbon
paper four days before the experiment proper.
2. In the experiment per se, the group picked two leaves
from the plant, one from the light-exposed leaves and
another one from those covered with carbon paper, and
then they sketched of them.
3. The two leaves were boiled in water for three minutes
and were then placed in a petri dish with water for
observation. The group sketched the two leaves and
took note of the change in their variegation pattern.
4. The two leaves were boiled next in 95% ethanol
solution for five minutes and were spread in a petri dish
containing a small amount of water, again, for
observation. The group sketched any change that
occurred.
5. They added four drops of iodine solution in the petri
dish, agitated it, observed the color reaction in the blade
of the leaves, and then sketched the final results.

Pigment extracted
Boiled in water Boiled in 95%
ethanol
Dark Leaf Violet

Green

Light leaf

Violet

Green

Color of leaf
in iodine soln

Starch

Photosythesis

Dark Leaf Brown

Absent

No

Light leaf

Present

Yes

Blue black

VI. Discussion
The violet area of the mayana leaf contained
anthocyanins was extracted because it is soluble in
water but resulted to no change in color of the
water boiled. After boiling the leaves in ethanol, the
color of the ethanol changed because it extracted
the green pigment, chlorophyll, which was soluble
in alcohol. Iodine solution was used as an indicator
to see the presence of starch. If the color of the leaf
turned to blue-black, starch was present. The green
areas that changed to blue-black indicate that
starch was present. The light leaf became blueblack since it contained starch, whereas, the dark
leaf did not change in color. Since the dark leaf was
not able to undergo photosynthesis, which is
because of the absence of light, it did not produce
starch.
VII. Conclusion
Starch is made only in the process of
photosynthesis and in the presence of chlorophyll.
Sunlight
and
chlorophyll
is
needed
for
photosynthesis.
VIII. References
Encyclopedia Brittanica (2008). Starch. Retrieved
from www.britannica.com/science/starch/articlehistory

IJPH
Group No. 2
Cabacungan, Cacabelos, Canlas, Capiral, Capulong, Carlos

Macdonald, J.J. (1995). Photosynthesis: Why does

it
occur?
Vidyasagar A.(2015), What is Photosynthesis?
Retrieved from www.livescience.com/51720photosynthesis.html

Testing a Leaf for Starch. (2014). Retrieved from

www.brilliantbiologystudent.weebly.com/testinga-leaf-for-the-presence-of-starch.html