Question

The temperature at which the granules begin to swell rapidly and lose birefringence is called

• A. Oxidation
• B. Reduction
• C. Gelatinization
• D. Freezing

Hint:

Starch + Heat + Water = Swelling and Thickening. This process is called gelatinization. It's what happens when you make gravy, cook rice, or bake a cake.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Analyze the described phenomenon. The question describes what happens to starch granules when heated in water: they swell, and they lose their crystalline structure (loss of birefringence, which is the ability to refract light in two directions).
Step 2: Match this description with the correct scientific term. This process is the definition of gelatinization. It's the irreversible swelling of starch granules when heated in the presence of water, leading to an increase in viscosity and the formation of a gel upon cooling. Oxidation and reduction are chemical reactions, and freezing is a change of state, neither of which describes this specific process.