2.13 complex carbohydrates
Starch is
a complex carbohydrate made of hundred of units of glucose linked together in a specific way
cellulose is
a complex carbohydrate made up of many molecules of glucose linked together
plants do not use cellulose to store energy, they use it as
a structural molecule that forms the cell wall that gives plant cells shape and support
glycogen
another complex carbohydrate
in times of energy shortage, enzymes
attack the ends of the starch molecule, releasing glucose molecules one at a time for use by cells
after enzymes break down the starch into glucose, those molecules are then
available to enter the process of cellular respiration, which breaks down glucose into usable chemical energy
animals like cows have
cellulose busting bacteria that live in their stomachs
Cellulose is sometimes called
dietary fiber
different types of plants make
different types of starches
in times of energy demand, glycogen is
easily broken down into individual glucose molecules which can be then further broken down, so their stored energy can be converted into usable forms
when you eat plants where starch is stored, such as oats, potatoes, or rice grains, you
eat this starch and your body breaks it down into individual glucose molecules
amylase
enzyme that breaks down starch
some species of fungi produce
enzymes that break down cellulose
when glucose is released from starch molecules, it is
free to enter the chemical reactions that transform chemical energy in a glucose molecule into forms of energy your body can use for growth, development, and maintenance
the branching structure of starch relates to the
function of starch as a storage molecule
plants often make more ____________ that they need
glucose
animals, including humans, store glucose in a molecule called
glycogen
cecropia trees produce
glycogen, which is mainly found in animals
the glucose molecules in cellulose are
held together with a different type of chemical bond that the glucose molecules in starch which makes the bonds more difficult to break down
cellulose is an important part of your diet specifically because
it is not digested; it passes through your digest systems and helps you system function effectively
cellulose is an ideal structural molecule because
it's bonds are hard to break down
starch, cellulose, and glycogen are
large molecules made of hundreds, even thousands, of glucose molecules held together in different ways
like starch, glycogen is made up of
many glucose molecules bonded together
complex carbohydrates are made up of
many simple carbohydrate molecules linked together
branches of glucose chains provide
more ends where the enzyme can break down, or digest the starch, thus quickly releasing more glucose molecules
unlike starch, glycogen is a
more highly branched molecule
humans and animals store glycogen mainly in
muscle cells and liver cells
each type of starch consists of a different
number of glucose molecules and different patterns of branching, in which one chain of glucose molecules branches off of another
many of the fruits and vegetables you eat contain
organic molecules called complex carbohydrates which are polysaccharides
complex carbohydrates are
polysaccharides
fungi that can break down cellulose play an important role in
recycling dead trees and other plants in the forest
plants store extra glucose as a molecule called
starch
when energy is abundant, plants store __________
starch
cellulose gives plants
strength and support
glucose is
the sugar that is the key molecule in delivering chemical energy to cells
most animals can't use cellulose as a source of energy because
they don't have the enzymes to break down the bonds holding the molecule together
complex carbohydrates do what?
they store energy and provide strength and support to living things
termites have
bacteria in their guts that break down cellulose
most starch molecules have a
branching structure
when energy is scarce plants may
break down their stored starch, releasing glucose that then becomes available for the process of cellular respiration
specific enzymes in your body, such as amylase,
break the type of chemical bond that links glucose molecules together in starch molecules