polysaccharides advanced

starch

• it’s a glucose energy storage in plant cells

• it’s a polymer made up of thousands of alpha glucose monomers

• made up of amylose and amylopectin

amylose

• has alpha 1-4 glycosidic bonds

• straight chained

• helical polymer, meaning it’s compact

amylopectin

• contains both alpha 1-4 glycosidic bonds and alpha 1-6 glycosidic bonds

• branched polymer, meaning it has high surface area

glycogen

• glucose energy storage found in animals

• found in liver and muscle cells

• made up of alpha glucose monomers, contains both alpha 1-4 and alpha 1-6 glycosidic bonds

• highly branched, meaning it has high surface area, allows quick release of glucose

cellulose

• polysaccharide made up of beta glucose monomers

• it’s a structural carbohydrate found in plant cell walls

• high tensile strength and inelasticity provides cell with rigidity

• has beta 1-4 glycosidic bonds

cellulose structure

• beta glucose monomers are joined by glycosidic bonds, with each adjacent beta glucose monomers made rotated 180° to each other

• forms straight chains

• hydrogen bonds form between the OH groups

• many straight chains form a microfibril, many microfibril form a cellulose bundle

chitin

• similar to cellulose but OH groups are replaced with nitrogen containing acetyl-amine groups

• it’s lightweight, water proof and very strong

• forms exoskeletons for arthropods