The document discusses starch, a type of carbohydrate. Starch is a polymer of glucose that plants synthesize and store as an energy reserve. It is found in tubers, roots, seeds, and fruits of plants like cassava, sweet potato, potato, corn, wheat, rice and sago palm. Starch has two components - amylose which has a linear structure, and amylopectin which has branched chains. Together these determine the viscosity of starch gel. When starch is cooked, the granules absorb water, soften and burst, forming a gel through gelatinization. Cooking and digestion break starch down into simpler sugars like maltose and glucose for absorption.