Difference Between Amylose and Amylopectin

Starch is a colourless and odourless polysaccharide that is found in plants as stored carbohydrates. It is a polymer of glucose monomers that are linked with each other to form a polysaccharide.

Starch is composed of two types of polysaccharide molecules:

• Amylose
• Amylopectin

Amylose and Amylopectin

Amylose is a polysaccharide made of several D-glucose units. They are linked by 1,4-glycosidic bonds. When iodine is added to starch, the colour changes to dark blue or black due to the presence of amylose present in the starch. Amylose is soluble in water and can be hydrolyzed into glucose units by the enzymes α- amylase. They are linked by α(1→4) glycosidic bonds. Amylase catalyses the hydrolysis of starch into sugars. Amylose in starch is responsible for giving the deep blue colour in the presence of iodine. Iodine gets trapped in the amylose helices.

Amylopectin is a polymer of several D-glucose molecules. 80% of amylopectin is present in starch. Amylopectin molecules are linked by α-1,4-glycosidic bonds and α-1,6-glycosidic bonds. It is a water-insoluble fraction.

Heating starch with water produces a colloidal suspension due to the swelling of starch granules. It readily dissolves in hot water. On cooling, it forms a starch paste or starch gel.

Let us discuss the difference between amylose and amylopectin.

Also Read: Carbohydrates

Difference Between Amylose and Amylopectin

Following are the important difference between amylose and amylopectin:

Also Read: Difference between Osmosis and Diffusion

Thus we see how amylose and amylopectin are different from each other. For more information on the difference between the two, keep visiting BYJU’S website or download BYJU’S app for further reference.