BRAINCAKEStarch
Starch is the energy-storage polysaccharide of plants. It is stored as starch grains in chloroplasts and in amyloplasts of storage organs such as potato tubers and seeds. Starch is a mixture of two polymers of α-glucose.
Amylose (about 20 to 30% of starch) is an unbranched chain of α-glucose joined by 1,4-glycosidic bonds. Because of the angle of these bonds, the chain coils into a helix, held by hydrogen bonds. The helix is compact, so a lot of glucose fits into a small space.
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Key terms in this lesson
- respiratory substrate
- A molecule, such as glucose, that is broken down in respiration to release energy for the synthesis of ATP.
More in Biological Molecules
- Monosaccharides
- Disaccharides
- Test for Sugars
- Polysaccharides
- Test for Starch
- Glycogen
- Cellulose
- The Nature of Lipids
All 25 lessons in Biological Molecules · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics