Question

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

Answer 1

Similarities:

The starch and the cellulose are the polymers having glucose as their monomer unit. Both the cellulose and starch are carbohydrates. Both the starch and cellulose are present in the plant cells. The glucose repeating unit of these polymers is exactly the same.

Differences:

The glucose repeating units are attached through the alpha linkages in the starch molecule, while in cellulose, these units are attached through beta linkages. The humans are capable of digesting starch but not the cellulose. The starch acts as the energy store in plants while the cellulose provides structural support by forming micro-tubules.

Answer 2

Answer;

Similarities.

-Starch and cellulose are both polymers, and are polysaccharides.

-They are both made from the same monomer, glucose, and have the same glucose-based repeat units.

-Starch and cellulose both contain 1-4 glycosidic bonds but starch also contains 1-6 glycosidic bonds.

-Starch and cellulose are both insoluble

-The chains in starch and cellulose are both formed by condensation reactions. The chains in starch and cellulose are also broken by hydrolysis.

Differences;

-Starch consists of two different types of glucose molecules while cellulose only consists of one.

-Starch contains alpha glucose, while cellulose is made of beta glucose. This difference may seem minor, but it plays a big role in the 3-D shape of the molecule.

-Starch and cellulose have different functions. Starch is the main energy storage material in plants; cellulose forms microtubules which provide structural support in plant cells.