| What are carbohydrates | Molecules that only contain the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. |
| What is starch | - the main energy storage material in plants
- insolube
- amylose
- amylopectin |
| Describe amylose | - a long, unbranched chain of alpha glucose
- the angle of the glycosidic bonds give it a coiled structure
- this makes it compact
- good for storage as you can fit more in to a small space |
| Describe amylopectin | - a long branched chain of alpha glucose
- branches allow the enzymes to breakdown the molecule to get at the glycosidic bond easily, so glucose can be released quickly |
| What is glycogen | - the main energy storage in animals
- a long chain of alpha glucose with a lot more side branches
- stored glucose can be hydrolysed quickly
- very compact |
| What is cellulose | - major component of cell walls in plants
- made of long unbranched chains of beta glucose that bond forming a straight cellulose chain
- forms microfibrils used for strucural support in plants |
