Q. 13.47 - An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry

Question

Describe the similarities and differences in the following:

a. amylose and amylopectin

b. amylopectin and glycogen

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Part a. Both are D glucose polymers and glicosidic bonds are different.

Part b. Both consists of same glicosidic bonds and glycogen is more branched than amylopectin. 

Step 1: Amylose and Amylopectin (Part a)

• Amylose and amylopectin provides the mean of storage. 
• This is why plants create amylose in the first place. 
• Plants store sugar in amylose and amylopectin because the lengthy chains are a compact way to do it.

Step 2: Amylase and amylopectin similarities (Part a)

• Both are D-glucose polymers.
• They are both starch components.

Step 3: Difference between amylase and amylopectin (Part a)

• Amylopectin has $\alpha -1,4$ and $\alpha -1,6$ glycosidic bonds.
• Whereas amylose has just $\alpha -1,4$ glycosidic bonds.

Step 4: Amylopectin and glycogen (Part b)

• The excellent sources of amylopectin plants includes rice, corn, potatoes, and other starchy foods. 
• Glycogen, on the other hand, is found in animal meat, intestines, and livers.

Step 5: Similarities between amylopectin and glycogen (Part b)

• Both are D-glucose polymers.
• Both amylopectin and glycogen consists of $\alpha -1,4$ and $\alpha -1,6$ -glycosidic bonds.

Step 6: Difference between amylopectin and glycogen (Part b)

• One of the starch component is amylopectin which is used to store carbs in plants, whereas glycogen is used to store carbohydrates in animals.
• Branching in amylopectin occurs every $25$ glucose units. We can claim that glycogen is more branched than amylopectin because branching occurs every  $10-15$ glucose units.