Abstract
THE chemical structure of starch has not yet been fully elucidated. In recent years, evidence as to the size of its molecule has been derived from a study of the products obtained when trimethyl-starch is broken down ; and it is supposed that, like cellulose, starch consists of chains of glucopyranose residues, but united by a-glucosidic instead of β-glucosidic links. Haworth has calculated that the molecule of starch consists of not more than 25-30 glucose units and that these units are associated into physical aggregates of much larger dimensions. On the other hand, Prof. Staudinger has long held the view that the physical properties of starch point to the existence of macro-molecules as distinct from molecular aggregates and in the May issue of the Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft he and Herr Husemann adduce fresh evidence in support of this view from a study of the effect of chemical reactions upon the degree of polymerization of various preparations of starch from wheat.
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The Constitution of Starch. Nature 142, 177 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/142177a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/142177a0