Final answer:
Animals store carbohydrates as glycogen while plants use starch. Glycogen, predominantly stored in liver and muscle cells, is a highly branched polymer for quick energy release. Starch, made of glucose units, stores excess plant sugars.
Step-by-step explanation:
The storage form of carbohydrates is glycogen in animals and starch in plants. Animals store excess energy primarily as glycogen and also as fats, whereas plants store sugar in the form of starch, which is a polysaccharide made of numerous glucose units. In more detail, the starch component, amylose, is linear, while amylopectin, which constitutes a larger portion of starch, is branched. Similarly, glycogen is a highly branched polymer of glucose but is more extensively branched than amylopectin, making it suitable for quick release of energy when needed by animals.
When food is consumed, animals break down starch into glucose molecules, which can be used immediately or stored as glycogen, predominantly in the liver and muscle cells. These polysaccharides are essential for energy storage and are critical for maintaining glucose homeostasis in the body.