Question

The enzyme amylase can break glycosidic linkages between glucose monomers only if the monomers are the α form. Which of the following could amylase break down?

a) glycogen, starch, and amylopectin
b) glycogen and cellulose
c) cellulose and chitin
d) starch and chitin
e) starch, amylopectin, and cellulose

Answer 1

a) glycogen, starch, and amylopectin.

Step-by-step explanation:

Amylase can only break polymers which have α glycosidic linkages between glucose monomers. Starch, glycogen and amylopectin they all are α polymers of glucose. Their description is mentioned as under:

Starch:

Amylose & amylopectin are 2 forms of starch. Amylose is a helical and unbranched polymer of glucose with α ( 1 → 4) linkage. ~ 15 % of starch exists in amylose form.

Amylopectin:

Amylopectin is a form of starch but it is branched and it has 2 types of linkages α ( 1 → 4) linkage & α ( 1 → 6) linkage. Almost 80-85 % of starch exists in this form.

Glycogen:

Glycogen is somehow similar to that of amylopectin with the only difference that it has more branching as compared to amylopectin.

Rest of the options include polymers which have β linkage like chitin & cellulose so those options are wrong.

Answer 2

"Glycogen, starch, and amylopectin" are the ones among the following choices given in the question that amylase could break down. The correct option among all the options that are given in the question is the first option or option "a". I hope that this is the answer that has practically come to your desired help.