What is Starch?
[[File:Beiju.jpg|thumb|[[Beju]], a [[pancake]] made from [[Manioc|cassava]] and starch]] '''Starch''' is a complex [[carbohydrate]]. It is made of many [[glucose]] units joined by [[chemical bond]]s. This [[polysaccharide]] is produced by most [[green plant]]s as an energy store. It is the most common carbohydrate in human [[diet]]s. [[Pasta]], [[potato]]es, [[bread]], and other starchy foods are made out of carbohydrates. == Starch in every day activities == === Starch in food === Some good food sources of starch are [[cereal]]s, bread, potatoes, [[grain]]s, [[pea]]s, and [[bean]]s. Starch is also used for thickening sauces in [[cook]]ing and thickening cold foods during a preheat. Starch is a [[white]] powder that is [[taste]]less and [[Odor|odourless]]. [[Corn starch]] or cornflour is known as a popular kind of starch made from [[Maize|corn]]. Foods with a lot of starch produce more energy than other foods. However, if this energy is not used, it is turned into [[fat]] by the [[liver]] through [[de novo lipogenesis]]. === Laundry starch === There are also different kinds of starch, like laundry starch, which gives clothing a smooth and crisp feel. Sweat and dirt from a person’s wrist and neck will stick to the starch on the clothes, not to the fibers of the clothes, and will wash away along with the starch. Then, after each laundry load, the starch can be used again. == Other facts == Starch glues are used in [[wood]], [[cotton]], and bonding of [[paper]]. [[Animal]]s and [[human]]s have [[amylase]], so they can digest starch. Starch was used in [[Europe]] in the [[1500s|16th]] and [[1600s|17th]] centuries to stiffen the collars and ruffs of the fine [[linen]] which surrounded the neck. Starch also requires heat to thicken. The actual temperature depends on the type of starch. [[Category:Carbohydrates]]