carbohydrates

• glycogen is found in animals and bacteria but never in plant cells
• glycogen is similar in structure to starch but has shorter chain and is highly branched
• glycogen is stored in small granules mainly in the muscles and the liver
• glycogen is more highly branched than starch so has more ends that enzymes can act on simultaneously by enzymes -> more rapidly broken down to form glucose monomer -> used in respiration (important to animals who have high metabolic rate and therefore a high respiratory rate)
• starch is a polysaccharide that is found in many parts of the plant in the form of small grains
• starch is made of chains of alpha glucose monosaccharides that are linked by glycosidic bonds formed from a condensation reaction (releases water molecules as well)
• the chains that make up starch can be branched or unbranched
• unbranched chains that make up starch are wound into a tight coil making the molecule very compact
• amylose is an a-helix straight chain (unbranched) with 1-4 glycosidic bonds
• amylopectin is a highly branched polymer of alpha glucose with 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds