The researchers studied how starch develops in different parts of normal and waxy maize seeds. They looked at whole sections of the seeds and found that starch forms differently in the pericarp, embryo, and endosperm. Starch in the pericarp breaks down from top to bottom, while in the embryo, it starts accumulating in a specific part around 10 days after pollination. In the endosperm, starch accumulates from top to bottom and from center to edge. Normal maize has more amylose in its pericarp starch compared to the embryo and endosperm. Waxy maize lacks amylose in the endosperm due to a gene mutation. Both types of maize have starch with A-type crystallinity.