Read the passage carefully and answer.

Carbohydrates are essential for both plants and animals. Some common examples of carbohydrates are glucose, fructose, sucrose, glycogen, cellulose and starch. They form a major portion of our food. Honey has been used for a long time as an instant source of energy in Ayurvedic medicine. Carbohydrates are used as storage molecules in both plants and animals. The cell wall of bacteria and plants is made of cellulose. We use cellulose in the form of wood for making furniture and as cotton fiber for clothing. They also provide raw material for textiles, paper, lacquers, and breweries. Carbohydrates are classified as Monosaccharides, Oligosaccharides and Polysaccharides on the basis of their behavior towards hydrolysis. Monosaccharides cannot be hydrolyzed further to simpler units whereas oligosaccharides can yield 2-10 units of monosaccharides on hydrolysis. Polysaccharides, which are non-sugars yield a large number of monosaccharide units on hydrolysis.

Answer the following questions about carbohydrates:

Identify a component of starch from among the following.

Amylose

The correct answer is Option (2) → Amylose **

Starch is not a single chemical substance but a mixture of two distinct polysaccharides composed of D-glucose units:

1. Amylose: This is a linear, unbranched polymer of glucose. It constitutes about 15–20% of starch. It is water-soluble and gives a characteristic blue color with iodine.
2. Amylopectin: This is a highly branched polymer of glucose. It makes up the bulk of starch (80–85%) and is insoluble in water.

Why the other options are incorrect

• Amylase: This is an enzyme (a protein), not a carbohydrate. Its role is to catalyze the hydrolysis (breakdown) of starch into simpler sugars like maltose and glucose.
• Galactose: This is a monosaccharide (simple sugar). While it is a component of lactose (milk sugar), it is not found in starch.
• Fructose: This is also a monosaccharide often found in fruits and honey. It is a component of sucrose (table sugar) but not starch.