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Some types of wheat have been genetically manipulated to change the starch biosynthesis pathway. As a result, the modified wheat synthesizes more amylose than the unmodified wheat. Amylose is known as a resistant starch, meaning it resists digestion in the stomach and small intestine. Resistant starch is thought to be beneficial to the digestive system, in the same way that dietary fiber is beneficial. Why is amylose a resistant starch, whereas amylopectin is not?

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Answer:

The answer to the question: Why is amylose a resistant starch, whereas amylopectin is not, would be: because the helical structure of amylose, one of the two components of starches, its insolubility in cold water, and its capacity to crystallize, given its long and linear-chain structure, protect it from the enzymatic function of digestive enzymes in the small intestine.

Step-by-step explanation:

Amylose and amylopectin are two of the main components present in starch. While amylopectins have shorter chains which are branched out, and they are soluble in water, amylose do not presen that facility. Because amylose chemical structure is in the form of a tightly packed helix, and it is highly resistant to water sollubility, this polysaccharide present in starch is very difficult for the body to digest and therefore becomes part of the waste product that leaves the body in fecal matter, with fiber.

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