The main structural difference comes from the difference in the sequence of bonds in glycogen and cellulose and starch where the three of them composed mainly of glucose and its derivatives Starch, glycogen and cellulose are all polymers of glucose. They differ in the type of glucose present and the bonds which link thr glucose monomers together. Starch and glycogen are made from alpha-glucose. This is an isomer of glucose in which the hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to carbon number 1 is below the plane of the ring. Starch is itself composed of two types of polymer:amylose and amylopectin. In amylose, the glucose monomers are linked by 1,4 glycosidic bonds. This means that the bond connects carbon atom number 1 in one glucose to carbon atom number 4 in the other glucose. This produces an unbranched chain of glucose which then folds up to form a coil or helix. In amylopectin there are two types of glycosidic bonds: 1,4 and 1,6. The 1,4 links are the same as in amylose. In addition some glucose molecules have a glycosidic link from carbon atom number 6 to carbon atom number 1 in a new glucose molecule. This produces a branch point in the amylopectin molecule. Amylopectin is therefore a branched polymer. Glycogen is similar in structure to amylopectin, but branches more frequently. Cellulose is an unbranched polymer composed of beta glucose molecules. Beta glucose is an isomer of glucose in which the hydroxyl group attached to carbon 1 is above the plane of the ring. The glucose monomers are linked by 1,4 glycosidic bonds. Hydrogen bonds between adjacent cellulose molecules allow them to form strong fibres, which suite them to their role as the main structural component of plant cell walls. For more details see: http://www.steve.gb.com/science/index.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysaccharide http://www.rpi.edu/dept/bcbp/molbiochem/MBWeb/mb1/part2/sugar.htm
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The main structural difference between starch, glycogen, and cellulose comes from the type of glucose linkage present in each. Starch and glycogen consist of α-glucose units linked by glycosidic bonds, which allows for branching. In contrast, cellulose consists of β-glucose units linked by β(1→4) glycosidic bonds, which forms straight, linear chains.
Cellulose. Cellulose is a polymer of glucose molecules. It is different from starch or glycogen due to the type of bond between the glucose molecules.
Carbohydrates are a broad category of organic compounds that serve as a major source of energy for living organisms. Cellulose is a specific type of carbohydrate that provides structural support to plants and is not easily digestible by most animals due to its complex structure.
The structural formula of cellulose is (C6H10O5)n, where n represents a large number of repeating units, known as glucose molecules, linked together through beta-1,4-glycosidic bonds. This forms a long, linear polymer chain with strong hydrogen bonding between adjacent chains, giving cellulose its characteristic strength and rigidity.
Starch is a polysaccharide made of glucose units that serves as an energy storage molecule in plants. Cellulose, on the other hand, is a structural polysaccharide made of glucose units that provides rigidity and strength to plant cell walls. Starch is found in storage organs like roots and seeds, while cellulose is a major component of the cell wall in plant cells.
The structural formula show the position of atoms in a molecule.