Bananas (and other fruits) change as they ripen. What happens to the carbohydrate molecules in the fruit as they ripen?

1. Use the tests to identify how the 2 different carbohydrate molecules change in the banana from unripe to ripe. (You will need to run both the Carbohydrates tests - One that tests for glucose and one that tests for starch for BOTH the unripe banana AND the ripe banana and record the results below).

2. Based on how you like your fruit (ripe or unripe), make a claim about how each of the different molecules tastes (sweet or unsweet-- think about which carbohydrate tastes more sweet starch or glucose?).

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What happens to the carbohydrate molecules in the fruit as they ripen?

During ripening, there is an increase in the breakdown of starch inside the fruit, and a corresponding increase in the amount of simple sugars which taste sweet, such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose. This process is particularly obvious in bananas as they ripen. Green bananas do not taste sweet at all, and the riper they get, the sweeter they taste. There is also a decrease in acidity as the fruit ripens and a decrease in bitter plant substances, such as alkaloids. Last, as fruits ripen they produce complex compounds that are released into the surrounding air, giving a ripe fruit its pleasant aroma.

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