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Solubility & Size- Insoluble - does not affect water potential & does not cause osmotic swell
- Too large of a molecule, overcomes water's hydrogen bonds attempting to separate the molecules (amylose - 300 glucose molecules, amylopectin - 3000 glucose molecules)
- Makes it good for storage - stays inside the plant cells without dissolving into the system
- Many glucose units stored in one molecule - more energy dense than storing them separately
Bonding & Side chains - Amylose - only alpha 1,4 glycosidic bonds which have a bond angle that makes it form a helical structure further stabilised by intramolecular hydrogen bonds (between -OH groups between neighboring monomers) meaning it is more compact than if a straight chain - energy dense
- Amylopectin - alpha 1,4 glycosidic bonds, every ~20C - alpha 1,6 glycosidic bond which forms a branched structure of helical chains - even more energy stored
- 1,6 glycosidic bonds allow for more branch endings for enzyme activity - easy to hydrolyse and release the glucose for energy quickly
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