Question

Cellose and amylose are both unbranched glucose polymers, what is the nutritional importance of this?

Answer 1

Dear student , as you know that they are unbranched . What does 'unbranched means'? It means that they have 1,4 alpha glycosidic linkage only . No branching! due to this bond this macromolecule assumes a bent shape and hollow helix like structure is there . it has less fibrous quality and the granule like shape make it suitable for energy storage.

Although mammals cannot digest cellulose, it and other plant forms are necessary soluble fibers that mammals can eat. Pectin, for example, slows down the movement of food molecules in the digestive tract, which thereby allows for more necessary nutrients to be absorbed by the body instead of being quickly passed through as waste. Likewise, insoluble fibers like cellulose expedite the digestive movement of food molecules, which is imperative in the quick removal of harmful toxins.

Humans can't digest cellulose because we lack cellulases that would allow us to cleave the beta 1,4 linkages. However, some animals do eat and obtain energy from cellulose. One example of that is termites. These animals digest cellulose in a stepwise manner, using a combination of their own cellulases (produced in the foregut) and those of a microbial community resident in the distal parts of their digestive tract. This is a great example of a symbiotic relationship .

Cellulase, an enzyme found in organisms that can digest cellulose, has recently garnered the attention of the scientific community and especially of alternative energy researchers who hope to produce biofuel (such as ethanol) by enzymatically breaking down the cellulose found in plants. How cellulase operates is not yet fully understood, but as more knowledge about the mechanism is uncovered researchers will be able to improve its efficiency (known cellulases are currently too slow to be used in industry) and apply its use to producing "green" energy sources. In this way, the most abundant source of bioenergy on Earth, cellulose, can become a part of the world's accessible energy supply.

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