Given below are the steps to conduct an experiment to test the presence of starch in a leaf. Which of the following steps is not necessary ?

Correct option is C

The correct answer is Heat the leaf on a flame.
In the standard process of testing for the presence of starch in a leaf, heating the leaf on a flame is not a necessary step. The correct procedure involves boiling the leaf in water to kill it, then boiling it in alcohol to remove chlorophyll, which bleaches the leaf. After these steps, the leaf is washed to soften it and remove any excess alcohol. Finally, iodine solution is added to the bleached leaf. If starch is present, the iodine will turn the leaf blue-black. Heating the leaf on a flame is not part of this procedure and is unnecessary for the starch test.