Summative Task UNIT-1 Name: Peter.

Investigation: That’s Bananas!

1. Obtain one ripe banana and one new banana. Describe the taste, feel, and/or
smell of the bananas.

Green Banana Ripe (Yellow) Banana

Taste sweet Taste sweeter
Feel hard Feel soft
Smells like raw stuff Smells like alcohol

Iodine is an INDICATOR for starch. It will turn from an orange color to a dark purple color in
the presence of starch. Starch is a polysaccharide made of thousands of monomers of
glucose. It is primarily used as a storage molecule for sugars in cells. The organelles containing starch in banana cells are
amyloplasts, a type of organelle called a “plastid” that stores starch. These plastids look like little sacks inside of cells.
Glucose is a product of photosynthesis.

Which banana (green or yellow) would you expect to have the most starch? Green
Explain your choice: Because raw banana cells have not been broken down

2. Cut a small slice from the green banana and place it on a well plate. Place a drop of iodine on the banana.
Repeat for the yellow banana. Describe the differences.

Green banana Ripe banana

Become darker black Become yellowed

3. Where did the starch go when the banana changed from a new (green) banana to being ripe?

The starch does not disappear, but becomes sugar

4. Viewing the cells of the banana:

1) Use a toothpick to scrape a small amount of green banana from the surface of the fruit.
2) Place a drop of iodine on a microscope slide and swirl the toothpick (with banana) into the drop.
3) Place a coverslip on the sample. The coverslip should sit flat.
4) Repeat to view the ripe banana.
Observe the banana at 40x, 100x. You may need to adjust the slide to find a region of the sample that has
visible cells. Draw the banana cells at 100x magnification. Label the starch granules.
 New banana (100x) Ripe banana (100x)

5. What is the difference between new (raw) banana cells and ripe banana cells?

The main difference between fresh (raw) banana cells and mature banana cells is the change in their
composition and structure. Raw banana cells contain a lot of starch particles, the cell wall is rich in pectin
and cellulose, so the texture is hard, the taste of starch is heavy. In ripe bananas, enzymes break down
starch into glucose, fructose and sucrose, sweetening the banana, reducing starch particles in the cells, and
degrading pectin and cellulose in the cell wall, resulting in softer cells and more mobile tissues.

6. Are there chloroplasts in the banana cells? How can you tell whether chloroplasts are there?

Banana flesh cells do not contain chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are found mainly in the green tissue of plants.
Raw bananas are green because they contain chlorophyll in the skin cells, not the flesh cells.

7. What is the function of chloroplasts? Where would you most likely find these structures in the plant?

The main function of chloroplasts is to carry out photosynthesis, to convert light energy into chemical energy,
to produce glucose, and to release oxygen using carbon dioxide and water. Chloroplast components are
found on the green leaves of plants.

8. Compare the presence of starch granules in the green and yellow banana. Explain why one would have
more than the other.

Raw bananas mainly store starch as energy, and the cells are full of starch particles, so the taste is hard and
not sweet. As the banana ripens, enzymes break down the starch into simple sugars like glucose, fructose
and sucrose, sweetening the banana and softening its texture. As a result, green bananas contain more
starch particles, while yellow bananas are reduced as the starch is broken down and converted into sugar.
 FINAL SYNTHESIS

Ripening of fruit (including bananas) comes from a

substance produced called ethylene. Ethylene is a
hormone that is made during certain developmental
conditions to signal seeds to germinate, prompt leaves
to change colors, and trigger flower petals to die.
Ethylene causes genes to be turned on, which in turn,
causes a chain reaction in the fruit.

Enzymes called pectinases are made to break down

cell walls and soften the fruit; enzymes called
amylases convert carbohydrates into simple sugars;
and enzymes called hydrolases degrade the
chlorophyll content of the fruit resulting in color
change. Such changes invite animals to consume the
fruit and disperse the mature undigested seeds via
their defecation.

10. What happens to starch as the banana ripens?

What enzyme is involved?

As bananas mature, the starches in the banana

cells break down into simpler sugars. This
conversion is facilitated by amylase, which
catalyzes the hydrolysis of starch into these sugar
molecules. As a result, bananas become sweeter
and softer in texture. The breakdown of starch also
reduces the firmness of the banana flesh, leading
to the changes observed during ripening.

11. What is causing the color change in bananas as

they ripen?

The color change of bananas as they ripen is

mainly caused by the degradation of the green
pigment chlorophyll found in the peel. Enzymes
such as hydrolase break down the chlorophyll
molecules, causing the green color to disappear

12. Why would the banana plant spend time and energy sending glucose from the leaves of the banana plant
to the fruit (what is the point of that, especially if that fruit will be eaten by animals)?
 When the fruit becomes sweet and ripe, it attracts animals to eat it. This consumption is essential for
seed dispersal; Animals eat the fruit and eventually excrete the seeds from the parent plant. This
mechanism helps banana plants spread their seeds over a larger area

13. If you’ve ever tried an unripe fruit, you have probably noticed a bitter taste. Plants produce bitter or toxic
compounds in fruits, but these compounds usually break down before the fruit is ripe. Why do you think the
plant does this? (think about the previous question as you answer)

I believe that unripe fruit prevents animals or people from eating it because it interferes with the
development of viable seeds. Once the fruit is ripe and the seeds mature, these bitter compounds
break down, making the fruit more attractive. This change encourages animals to eat the ripe fruit,
thus helping the seeds spread to new locations, which increases the chances of the plant
reproducing

15. Examine the graph and write a caption or summary. Color range is from 1 (yellow) to 7 (green).

With the increase of starch index, indicating that the starch content is higher, the color value also increases
in the direction of green. This indicates that bananas with a higher starch index are less ripe and more green
in color. On the contrary, the lower the starch index value, the more yellow the banana color, indicating a
higher degree of ripeness. This relationship highlights the process by which starch is broken down into sugar
during ripening and Browning of bananas.
References

Tamarkin, D. A. (2015, 10). Exploring Carbohydrates with Bananas. The American Biology Teacher, 77(8),
620-623. doi:10.1525/abt.2015.77.8.9

Blankenship, S. M., Ellsworth, D. D., & Powell, R. L. (1993). A Ripening Index for Banana Fruit Based on
Starch Content, HortTechnology horttech, 3(3), 338-339. Retrieved Oct 5, 2022, from
https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/3/3/article-p338.xml
 SUMMATIVE Assessment Criteria / Task Specific Clarification

. Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Criteria (50-59%) (60-69%) (70-79%) (80-100%)
Demonstrates
Demonstrates some Demonstrates Demonstrates
limited knowledge of considerable thorough
knowledge of The Role of knowledge of knowledge of
(K25)
The Role of Iodine as an The Role of The Role of
Knowledg
Iodine as an Indicator in Iodine as an Iodine as an
e&
Indicator in Starch Indicator in Indicator in
Understan
Starch Detection and Starch Starch
ding
Detection and the Function Detection and Detection and
PRODUCT
the Function of of the Function of the Function of
Amyloplasts in Amyloplasts Amyloplasts in Amyloplasts in
Banana Cells in Banana Banana Cells Banana Cells
Cells
Uses critical/ Uses critical/ Uses critical/ Uses critical/
creative thinking creative thinking creative thinking creative thinking
(T25) processes processes processes processes
Thinking / with limited with some with considerable with thorough
Inquiry effectiveness in effectiveness in effectiveness in effectiveness in
researching the role researching the researching the researching the
of Iodine as an role of Iodine as role of Iodine as an role of Iodine as an
CONVERS Indicator in Starch an Indicator in Indicator in Starch Indicator in Starch
ATION / Detection and the Starch Detection Detection and the Detection and the
Function of and the Function Function of Function of
PRODUCT
Amyloplasts in of Amyloplasts in Amyloplasts in Amyloplasts in
Banana Cells Banana Cells Banana Cells Banana Cells
(C25) Expresses and Expresses Expresses and Expresses and
organizes ideas and organizes organizes
Communic and information organizes ideas ideas
ation with limited ideas and and
effectiveness in and information information
PRODUCT researching the information with with thorough
role of Iodine as an with some considerable effectiveness
Indicator in Starch
effectiveness effectiveness in researching
Detection and the
in researching in researching the role of Iodine
Function of
the role of Iodine the role of Iodine as an Indicator in
Amyloplasts in
as an Indicator in as an Indicator in Starch Detection
Banana Cells
Starch Detection Starch Detection and the Function of
 and the Function and the Function of
Amyloplasts in
of Amyloplasts in Amyloplasts in
Banana Cells
Banana Cells Banana Cells
Applies and
Applies and Applies and transfers
Applies and transfers transfers knowledge and
transfers knowledge knowledge and knowledge and skills and makes
and skills and makes skills and makes skills and makes connections
connections connections connections in familiar
(A25)
in familiar in familiar in familiar contexts with
contexts with lim- contexts with contexts thorough
Applicatio ited effectiveness some considerable effectiveness in
n about the role of effectiveness in effectiveness in researching about
Iodine as an researching about researching about the role of Iodine
OBSERVA
Indicator in Starch the role of Iodine the role of Iodine as an Indicator in
TION Detection and the as an Indicator in as an Indicator in Starch Detection
Function of Starch Detection Starch Detection and the Function of
Amyloplasts in and the Function and the Function of Amyloplasts in
Banana Cells of Amyloplasts in Amyloplasts in Banana Cells
Banana Cells Banana Cells