Refer to the figure below. Cellulose and glycogen are not soluble in water, but starch is.What feature explains these differences?

Question

Refer to the figure below.  Cellulose and glycogen are not soluble in water, but starch is.What feature explains these differences?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The amount of branching is the feature that explains the differences in solubility between cellulose, glycogen, and starch. Cellulose has a high degree of linear, unbranched chains, making it insoluble in water. Glycogen has a highly branched structure, but the branches are too short to allow for solubility in water. Starch has a moderate level of branching, with longer branches that can result in a more amorphous structure, allowing for solubility in water. The other options (type of sugar monomers, type of glycosidic bonds, number of monomers, and type of sugar anomer) do not directly impact solubility in water.

Refer to the Figure Below