Plants made their food, and some animals depend on them for their need. Plants store their food in the leaves in the form of a starch-a polymer of amylose and amylopectin, the branched and complicated structure of carbohydrates. Animals store their food in the form of glycogen.
Amylopectin vs Glycogen
Amylopectin is considered one of the forms of starch in which plants store their food in while Glycogen is said to be the store food of animals. Also, Amylopectin is an insoluble form of starch, whereas Glycogen is the pretty soluble form of starch.
An amylopectin is a form of starch stored in the plants as plant food. It is a highly branched structure that consists of polymer units of D-glucose units and is attached by 1,4-α glycosidic bonds, and the branches are attached by the 1,6-α glycosidic bonds.
Glycogen is a form of starch that is formed by the combination of amylose and amylopectin. The sub-unit of the glycogen is said to be the complex form of sugars.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Amylopectin | Glycogen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Amylopectin is a polysaccharide that is made up of monomers of glucose. | Glycogen is also a polysaccharide which on hydrolysis, releases Glucose. |
| Starch Form | It is an insoluble form of starch. | It is a soluble form of starch. |
| Location | It is referred to as plant starch because of one of the forms of storage food of plants. | It is the store food of animals. |
| Branching | The structure of amylopectin is highly branched. | The structure of glycogen is less branched |
| Branch Size | The branch size of the structure of Amylopectin is shorter. | The branch size of the structure of the glycogen is larger. |
| Repeating of Branch Structure | After every 25-30 subunits | After every 8-12 subunits |
What is Amylopectin?
Amylopectin is said to be the plant-stored food product in the leaves, fruits, stems, etc. It is a polysaccharide that is made up of the monomers of D-glucose sub-units.
The structure of the Amylopectin is highly branched, and it occurs after every 25-30 units of D-glucose units. In a single unit of Amylopectin, surprisingly, thousands of glucose units (to be assumed from 2000-200,000 glucose units) are present.
The size of the Amylopectin structure is 107-8. As Amylopectin is supposed to be insoluble in water, we need certain enzymes to break it. Thus, the amylase enzyme helps in breaking down the amylopectin.
It is supposed that Amylopectin contains almost 75% and more of the starch granules of the plant. Amylopectin is a rich source of energy and is found in potatoes, rice, corn, and many more.
What is Glycogen?
Glycogen is said to be the stored food of animals and fungi. A polysaccharide is made of two subunits that are – Amylose and Amylopectin.
The branching in the structure of Glycogen is less complexed compared to Amylopectin. Also, repetitive branching occurs after 8-12 units of the molecule. Also, the size of the Glycogen molecule is larger than that of Amylopectin.
Meat, Liver, and Intestines of animals are the rich source of Glycogen and can be eaten to fulfill the deficiency. In humans, Glycogen is stored in various tissues as a stored food so that it can help in regulating the blood sugar levels in a human.
Main Differences Between Amylopectin and Glycogen
- The size of the Amylopectin is supposed to be shorter, and compared to Glycogen, it has a quite large size than the Amylopectin.
- The repeating of branched structure is about 25-30 subunits for Amylopectin, while for Glycogen, it is 8-12 subunits.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0005274472903452
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0008621500810290
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pol.1956.120209402
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pol.1958.1203212503
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