Describe the structural and functional differences between starch and cellulose.
Stuctural difference:
Both cellulose and starch are homopolymers of D-Glucose. However the bonding pattern is different.
Starch is a mixture of amylose and amylopectin. Amylopectin is a branched polymer of -D-Glucose with 1-4 gycosidic linkage and with 1-6 branching points that occur at intervals of 25-30 -D-Glucose units. Amylose is unbranched polymer of -D-Glucose units in a repeating sequence of 1-4 gycosidic linkages.
Cellulose is a linear, unbranched homoplymer of D-Glucose joined by 1-4 gycosidic linkages.
Functional difference:
Starch is a storage form of glucose in plants which is stored in chloroplasts.
Cellulose is a structural polysaccharide in plants. It is the major component of cell walls.
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