What is the Major Structural Difference Between Starch and Cellulose

Question

What is the major structural difference between starch and cellulose?
A)the types of monosaccharide subunits in the molecules
B)the amount of branching that occurs in the molecule
C)that humans can only ingest starch
D)the type of glycosidic linkages in the molecule

Accepted Answer

The major structural difference between starch and cellulose is that they have different types of glycosidic linkages in the molecule. Starch has α(1→4) glycosidic linkages, which make it easily digestible by humans, while cellulose has β(1→4) glycosidic linkages, which are not easily broken down by humans due to the orientation of the bonds.