Amylose

Amylose is a mostly unbranched starch polymer whose glucose units are joined by α(1→4) glycosidic bonds. Its chains can coil into helices and associate into ordered structures.

α(1→4) glycosidic bond: A covalent linkage joining the anomeric carbon of one sugar to the fourth carbon of another in the alpha configuration. These bonds connect amylose’s glucose residues into a mostly linear chain.
Starch: A plant storage carbohydrate composed chiefly of glucose polymers, including amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is one of the two principal molecular components of starch.
Starch film: A thin material made from starch that forms a continuous layer after processing and drying. Amylose can contribute to film formation and strength in starch-based materials.
Starch synthase: An enzyme family that elongates glucose chains during starch biosynthesis by transferring glucose from ADP-glucose. Starch synthases build α(1→4)-linked chains that can become amylose.
Amylose helix: A helical conformation adopted by amylose chains, with glucose residues arranged along a coiled backbone. The chain’s geometry enables its characteristic helical structure.
Amylopectin: A highly branched starch polymer with α(1→4)-linked glucose chains and α(1→6) branch points. Its frequent branches distinguish it from amylose’s mostly unbranched chains.
Food starch: Starch used as an ingredient to thicken, stabilize, or alter the texture of foods. Amylose content helps determine how a starch thickens and sets in foods.
Granule-bound starch synthase: A starch-synthase enzyme associated with starch granules and primarily responsible for amylose synthesis in plants. This enzyme is the main plant biosynthetic source of amylose chains.
Iodine test: A chemical test in which iodine produces characteristic colors with certain polysaccharides and other substances. Iodine associates with amylose helices, producing the familiar deep blue color.
Glucose: A six-carbon monosaccharide that serves as a major energy source and building unit of many carbohydrates. Glucose residues are the repeating units in amylose.

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