Unit 13 ressubmition Task 4
Iman Boukjija Zamani
11053457
Unit 13: Biochemistry and Biological Technique
Task 4: Describe why starch and cellulose have different shapes even though they are both
made from glucose subunits. (M1)
Starch and cellulose are both composed of the same substance but with different structures.
Both starch and cellulose are polysaccharides; that is, both molecules are made up of a lot
of sugar molecules. In particular, starch and cellulose are made of the
sugar molecule glucose.
Glucose
Glucose is a type of sugar made of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen
(O). These elements form a ring with one of the carbons sticking off the
end, kind of like a ball of yarn with an unraveled string. There are also
alcohol (OH) groups attached to the carbons. There are six carbons
numbered from 1 to 6, with the 'unraveled string' hanging off taking the 6th
position.
Glucose is a 3D molecule; this means the attached elements can be pointed in different
directions at any given time. There are two main forms of glucose: alpha and beta. In alpha
glucose, the alcohol attached to carbon 1 is down. In the beta glucose, the alcohol attached
to carbon 1 is up.
When one molecule of glucose joins with another, the two alcohols attached to the carbons
combine, causing the new molecule to kick away water and share oxygen. A common way
the molecules are linked is for carbon 1 on one glucose to share oxygen with carbon 4 on
another.
Starch Structure
A starch molecule is a polysaccharide assembled
from the simple sugar glucose; it can contain
anywhere from five hundred to several hundred
thousand glucose molecules joined by covalent
bonds.
Starch is composed of two different molecules, amylose and amylopectin. Amylopectin is
very similar to glycogen in that it is made of many 1,4 linked alpha-glucose molecules, and
branches via 1,6 linkages - the main difference is that amylopectin branches less than
glycogen. Amylose, on the other hand is a very long, unbranched chain of several thousand
1,4 linked glucose molecules, and as in glycogen and amylopectin, these chains curve to coil
up into helical structures for compactness. Amylose chains are usually longer than
amylopectin. Plant starch is typically 20 to 30 percent amylose and 70 to 80 percent
amylopectin. The general form of starch are grains.
Cellulose Structure
Iman Boukjija Zamani
11053457
Unit 13: Biochemistry and Biological Technique
Task 4: Describe why starch and cellulose have different shapes even though they are both
made from glucose subunits. (M1)
Starch and cellulose are both composed of the same substance but with different structures.
Both starch and cellulose are polysaccharides; that is, both molecules are made up of a lot
of sugar molecules. In particular, starch and cellulose are made of the
sugar molecule glucose.
Glucose
Glucose is a type of sugar made of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen
(O). These elements form a ring with one of the carbons sticking off the
end, kind of like a ball of yarn with an unraveled string. There are also
alcohol (OH) groups attached to the carbons. There are six carbons
numbered from 1 to 6, with the 'unraveled string' hanging off taking the 6th
position.
Glucose is a 3D molecule; this means the attached elements can be pointed in different
directions at any given time. There are two main forms of glucose: alpha and beta. In alpha
glucose, the alcohol attached to carbon 1 is down. In the beta glucose, the alcohol attached
to carbon 1 is up.
When one molecule of glucose joins with another, the two alcohols attached to the carbons
combine, causing the new molecule to kick away water and share oxygen. A common way
the molecules are linked is for carbon 1 on one glucose to share oxygen with carbon 4 on
another.
Starch Structure
A starch molecule is a polysaccharide assembled
from the simple sugar glucose; it can contain
anywhere from five hundred to several hundred
thousand glucose molecules joined by covalent
bonds.
Starch is composed of two different molecules, amylose and amylopectin. Amylopectin is
very similar to glycogen in that it is made of many 1,4 linked alpha-glucose molecules, and
branches via 1,6 linkages - the main difference is that amylopectin branches less than
glycogen. Amylose, on the other hand is a very long, unbranched chain of several thousand
1,4 linked glucose molecules, and as in glycogen and amylopectin, these chains curve to coil
up into helical structures for compactness. Amylose chains are usually longer than
amylopectin. Plant starch is typically 20 to 30 percent amylose and 70 to 80 percent
amylopectin. The general form of starch are grains.
Cellulose Structure
