Question

Why are starch and glycogen more suitable than glucose as storage products?

Answer 1

Starch in plants and glycogen in animals are the preferred forms of glucose storage because of a couple of reasons

1. Both are insoluble polysaccharides unlike glucose which is highly soluble in water. Storing in insoluble form prevents accidental loss of glucose through the secretions and excretions.

2. If somehow, glucose is stored inside the cells without polymerization, then the internal environment of the cell will be hypertonic causing the osmosis of water into the cell, ultimately leading to the lysis of the cell as a result of osmotic pressure.

Therefore it is not only advantageous to store glucose in the form of starch or glycogen it is absolutely essential.