Polysaccharides, which include starch and cellulose, are sugar polymers, or molecules composed of numerous individual sugar units, as many as several thousand Usually only one or a very few kinds of sugars are found in a given polysaccharide Polysaccharides are classified according to the overall characteristics of the large molecules: a general size range, an average composition, and a common set of properties Like the sugars of which they’re composed, polysaccharides contain many exposed oxygen and hydrogen atoms, so they can form hydrogen bonds and absorb water However, they may or may not dissolve in water, depending on the attractive forces among the polymers themselves Starch By far the most important polysaccharide for the cook is starch, the compact, unreactive polymer in which plants store their supply of sugar Starch is simply a chain of glucose sugars Plants produce starch in two different configurations: a completely linear chain called amylose, and a highly branched form called amylopectin, each of which may contain thousands of glucose units Starch molecules are deposited together in a series of concentric layers to form solid microscopic granules When starchy plant tissue is cooked in water, the granules absorb water, swell, and release starch molecules; when cooled again, the starch molecules rebond to each other and can form a moist but solid gel Various aspects of starch — the way it determines the texture of cooked rice, its formation into pure starch noodles, its role in breads, pastries, and sauces — are described in detail in chapters 9–11 Glycogen Glycogen, or “animal starch,” is an animal carbohydrate similar to amylopectin, though more highly branched It’s a fairly minor component of animal tissue ... tissue is cooked in water, the granules absorb water, swell, and release starch molecules; when cooled again, the starch molecules rebond to each other and can form a moist but solid gel Various aspects of starch — the way... highly branched form called amylopectin, each of which may contain thousands of glucose units Starch molecules are deposited together in a series of concentric layers to form solid microscopic granules...store their supply of sugar Starch is simply a chain of glucose sugars Plants produce starch in two different configurations: a completely linear chain called amylose, and a highly branched