In what ways are cellulose and starch similar to each other and in what ways are they different? Be specific in your comparison, being sure to discuss both structure and function.

Question

rogue · Answer

- They are both made up of glucose subunits.
- They are both insoluble in water under normal conditions.
- Starch is used for energy storage in plants whilst cellulose is used for structural support. 
- Starch is composed of alpha-glucose subunits joined by alpha 1-4 glycosidic linkages. Cellulose is composed of beta-glucose subunits joined by beta 1-4 linkages.
- The beta 1-4 linkages cannot be split by enzymes that hydrolyze the alpha 1-4 linkages.