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Cellulose and starch are both polymers of glucose units, but most animals can only use starch as a ...

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Cellulose and starch are both polymers of glucose units, but most animals can only use starch as a ...

Cellulose and starch are both polymers of glucose units, but most animals can only use starch as a source of carbohydrate in their diets. Why are most animals incapable of digesting cellulose?

▸ Starch contains α linkages between carbons 1 and 4, where as cellulose contains β linkages between carbons 1 and 2.

▸ The glucose units of cellulose are in the open chain form and cannot be hydrolyzed by the cyclic-sugar specific enzymes of animals.

▸ The polymer of cellulose is simply too long to be completely digested by animals.

▸ Most animals do not produce enzymes which are capable of hydrolyzing β linkages between cellulose.

▸ This statement is incorrect. Most animals can digest cellulose.

Textbook

General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications

Edition: 11^th

Authors: Petrucci, Herring, Madura, Bissonnette

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