polysaccharide

Question

Cellulose differs from starch chiefly by:

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

1. **Similarity**: Both Starch and Cellulose are high-molecular-weight polymers of D-Glucose.
2. **Linkages in Starch**: Consists of Amylose (**$\alpha$-D-glycosidic linkage** at $1 	o 4$) and Amylopectin (branched with $1 	o 6$). It is digestible by humans.
3. **Linkage in Cellulose**: Consists of straight chains held together by **$\beta$-D-glycosidic linkage** between $C-1$ of one glucose and $C-4$ of the next.
4. **Physical Effect**: The $\beta$-linkage allows glucose chains to remain linear and form bundles via hydrogen bonding, providing structural rigidity to plants.
5. **Result**: The primary difference is the **geometry of the glycosidic linkage**.

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polysaccharide

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