Question

What are the two reason when leaves are boiled in alcohol to test for the presence of starch

Answer 1

The hot water kills the leaf and the alcohol breaks down the chlorophyll, taking the green color out of the leaf. When you put iodine on the leaves, one of them will turn blue-black and the other will be a reddish-brown. Iodine is an indicator that turns blue-black in the presence of starch. The leaf that was in the light turns blue-black, which demonstrates that the leaf has been performing photosynthesis and producing starch.