The role of light in carbohydrate synthesis

 

  1. Pick a leaf from a geranium exposed to light and one kept in the dark for 48 hours.
    • keep the stem on the leaf grown in light
    • remove the stem from the leaf grown in the dark
  2. Hydrolyze the cell walls of the geranium leaves by boiling in a water bath for 5 minutes until it looks like over-cooked vegetables)
  3. Bleach the leaves by  removing the pigments. Place the leaves in hot alcohol for 7 minutes until they turn white.
  4. Remove the leaves and place it in a petri dish.
  5. Add iodine to the dish. If starch is present, the leaf will turn a deep bluish-black color.
  6. Photograph the leaf with your phone to document the effects of light on carbohydrate storage.