Cellulose requires cellulase to break it down. Mammals, humans included, do not have the cellulase.
2007-11-25 13:28:08
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answer #1
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answered by OKIM IM 7
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Great question!
Starch is meant to be an energy storage reserve
e.g. in human muscle or in seeds/tubers
Cellulose is a structural material in plants
e.g. cell walls, wood component
Starch and cellulose are both abundant in nature,
esp. cellulose, most abundant organic substance on earth.
Both are comprised of glucose polymers.
Chains with various amounts of side branches.
Major difference is their gluc-gluc bond/linkage,
alpha vs beta.
Might not seem significant but leads to very different structural and chemical properties.
Humans, other animals, insects, plants, bacteria and fungi
produce amylases that can digest their own or outside sources of starch.
Cellulases are only present in some fungi and bacteria.
To breakdown cellulose from other sources,
e.g. decaying plant material.
Termites can eat wood and cows/other ruminants can eat grass efficiently because they have the special bacteria in their guts.
Humans do eat plant material,
we utilize the sugars, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals.
But the rest is not soluble nor digestable and just passes thru us as roughage.
Moonshine and gasahol are made from corn grain.
Same can be done with free/abundant grass clipings.
But currently process is not very efficient nor cost effective.
2007-11-25 14:17:45
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answer #2
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answered by Anonymous
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Starch is made up of D-carbohydrate (1-4 Carbon Linkages)molecules which the human body is able to digest. Cellulose consists of L-carbohydrates which the human body does not possess enzymes to break down.
2007-11-25 13:27:15
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answer #3
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answered by J 3
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Starch is very close to sugar. Cellulose is much more complex, and we don't have the enzymes to break it down into useable energy.
2007-11-25 13:26:11
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answer #4
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answered by Crypt 6
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cellulose and starch are both carbohydrates, they are both sugars...
cellulose cannot be broken down by the human body because they contain beta bonds, unbreakable through human enzymes
carbohydrates contain alpha bonds
2007-11-25 13:29:09
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answer #5
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answered by Kai 2
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