starch
The carbohydrate (C 6 H 10 O
5 )x, which is being continuously
formed and broken down in the living cell and
which also serves as a reserve material. Like CELLULOSE , it is
made up of a long chain of glucopyranose units
joined together through oxygen by x-glucosidic
bonds. Chemically, starch is a polymer of glucose,
and yields glucose alone on complete hydrolysis,
maltose when broken down by enzymes, and dextrine
under other conditions. The starches commonly used
in papermaking are obtained from corn, potatoes,
tapioca and wheat, the last named being the
principal source of starch for paste used in
bookbinding. Starch was the original material for
sizing paper and may have been the first adhesive.
See also: PASTE .
(143 )
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