Amylomaize facts for kids

Amylomaize is a special type of maize (which is another name for corn). It's unique because its starch has a very high amount of something called amylose. Think of starch as the main energy storage part of many plants, like potatoes or corn.

What Makes Amylomaize Special?

Amylomaize is different from regular corn because of its starch. Most cornstarch has a mix of two things: amylose and amylopectin. Amylomaize, however, has more than 50% amylose. This high amylose content gives it special properties that make it useful for many things.

How Amylomaize Was Found

The story of amylomaize began in the late 1940s. A scientist named Robert P. Bear was working with corn plants in Decatur, Illinois. He made an amazing discovery! He found a natural change, almost like a tiny accident, in a regular corn plant. This change is called a mutation. This mutation made the corn's starch very different, with much more amylose than usual. From this one special plant, a whole new kind of corn was developed and grown for commercial use.

What Is Amylomaize Used For?

The special starch from amylomaize is very useful in many ways.

Making Eco-Friendly Plastics

One of its main uses is in making biodegradable plastics. These are also called bioplastics. Unlike regular plastics, bioplastics can break down naturally over time. This is much better for our environment because it helps reduce waste and pollution.

Special Coatings for Food

Amylomaize starch is also used to make special coatings. These coatings are safe to eat and easy to digest. For example, the food that the first American astronauts ate on their Apollo flights from 1969 to 1972 was coated with a film made from amylomaize. This coating was important because it stopped food crumbs from floating around in the space capsule! Imagine trying to eat in space with crumbs flying everywhere – not fun!

Amylomaize vs. Waxy Corn

Years before discovering amylomaize, Robert P. Bear had also found another special type of corn called waxy corn. Waxy corn is the opposite of amylomaize when it comes to starch. Its starch is 100% amylopectin. Just like amylomaize, waxy corn also started as a natural mutation. Once scientists knew what to look for, they found waxy mutations about once every 30,000 observations. This shows how rare and special these corn discoveries were!