Amylopectin

Amylopectin

Amylopectin (CAS# 9037-22-3) is a highly branched polymer of glucose found in plants. It is one of the two components of starch, the other being amylose. It is soluble in water.

Glucose units are linked in a linear way with α(1→4) bonds. Branching takes place with α(1→6) bonds occurring every 24 to 30 glucose units.

Its counterpart in animals is glycogen which has the same composition and structure, but with more extensive branching that occurs every 8 to 12 glucose units.

Plants store starch within specialized organelles called amyloplasts. When energy is needed for cell work, the plant hydrolyzes the starch releasing the glucose subunits. Humans and other animals that eat plant foods also have enzymes to hydrolyze starch.

Starch is made of about 70% amylopectin by weight. Amylopectin is highly branched, being formed of 2,000 to 200,000 glucose units. Its inner chains are formed of 20-24 glucose subunits.

ee also

* [http://www.starch.dk/isi/starch/starch.htm International Starch Institute]


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  • Amylopectin — ⇒ Stärke …   Deutsch wörterbuch der biologie

  • amylopectin — [am΄ə lō pek′tin] n. a nearly insoluble substance derived from the outer part of starch granules: it is a polymer of glucose: see also AMYLOSE (sense 1) …   English World dictionary

  • amylopectin — amilopektinas statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Šakotasis polisacharidas, sudarytas iš D gliukozės liekanų, sudedamoji krakmolo dalis. atitikmenys: angl. amylopectin rus. амилопектин …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • amylopectin — noun Date: 1905 a component of starch that has a high molecular weight and branched structure and does not tend to gel in aqueous solutions …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Amylopectin — Ausschnitt aus einem Amylopektinpolymer (Haworth Schreibweise) Ausschnitt aus einem Amylopektinpolymer (Sessel Schreibweise) Amylopek …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • amylopectin — Component of starch in which glucose chain is a 1,4 linked ( a 1,6 at branch points) …   Dictionary of molecular biology

  • amylopectin — /am euh loh pek tin/, n. the insoluble or gel component of starch that forms a paste with water, but does not solidify, and that turns red in iodine. Cf. amylose. [1900 05; AMYLO + PECTIN] * * * …   Universalium

  • amylopectin — noun A highly branched, insoluble form of starch (the soluble form being amylose) …   Wiktionary

  • amylopectin — A branched chain polyglucose (glucan) in starch containing both 1,4 and 1,6 linkages. Cf.:amylose. * * * am·y·lo·pec·tin .am ə lō pek tən n a component of starch that has a high molecular weight and branched structure and does not tend to gel in… …   Medical dictionary

  • amylopectin — n. ingredient of amylum …   English contemporary dictionary

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