Cambridge O Level Biology · Syllabus 5090 · Biological Molecules
Storage Carbohydrate
What is Storage Carbohydrate?
A carbohydrate built from glucose and used by an organism as an energy store. Starch is the storage carbohydrate of plants and glycogen is the storage carbohydrate of animals. Both are built from glucose units and can be broken back down to release glucose when the organism needs it.
This definition is part of the Biological Molecules chapter in Cambridge O Level Biology.
Questions students ask about Storage Carbohydrate
What is the difference between starch, glycogen and cellulose?
All three are carbohydrates built from glucose and contain only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen; the difference is their role. Starch is the storage carbohydrate of plants and glycogen is the storage carbohydrate of animals, and both can be broken back down to release glucose when the organism needs it. Cellulose is structural rather than nutritional: it forms plant cell walls, which support the cell and prevent it bursting when water enters.