Question
In Part 3, you are testing the diffusion and osmosis in plant leaf due to starch and glucose. What is the purpose of boiling in ethanol?
To sterilize the leaf
To break the cell walls
To remove any water
To remove glucose
To sterilize the leaf
To break the cell walls
To remove any water
To remove glucose
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The purpose of boiling the leaf in ethanol during the experiment to test for starch and glucose is primarily **to remove any water**. Boiling the leaf in ethanol is an important step because it extracts pigments and any other solubles, making it easier to test for the presence of starch later on. After boiling in ethanol, the leaf is usually treated with iodine to test for starch presence. The removal of water helps in enhancing the visibility of the blue-black color that indicates the presence of starch when iodine is applied.