A Scanning Electron-Microscope Study of Starches

Abstract

The shapes and surface structure of eleven starches—peas (wrinkled, smooth-shell, chick, and black-eyed), cowcockles, acorns, sagos, beans (tender white, pinto and lima), shoti, dieffenbachia, pineapples, peanuts, tamarinds and chestnuts— were examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The details seen in the three-dimensional images were compared with those seen in the two dimensional optical microscope views. Attempts were made to relate the surface details of the starch to possible layering and membrane phenomenon. Comparisons of surface detail seen with the metal- coated starch and the transparent sphereocrystal seen in the light-microscope views have allowed some speculations on the internal structures of some of the granules.