amylopectin

[ am-uh-loh-pek-tin ]

noun

1. the insoluble or gel component of starch that forms a paste with water, but does not solidify, and that turns red in iodine.

amylopectin

/ ˌæmɪləʊˈpɛktɪn /

noun

1. See amylose
   the major component of starch (about 80 per cent), consisting of branched chains of glucose units. It is insoluble and gives a red-brown colour with iodine Compare amylose

Word History and Origins

Origin of amylopectin¹

First recorded in 1900–05; amylo- + pectin

Example Sentences

Amylose is a long, straight chain of glucose molecules, while amylopectin has lots of branches, and it’s the ratio between the two that informs how a starch behaves, Steffens says.

From Popular-Science

The two main molecules of that starch, a type of carbohydrate, are amylose and amylopectin, deposited in solid granules throughout the plant.

From Washington Post