This carbohydrate is produced by animals for energy storage

How do plants and animals store carbohydrates?

Plants build carbohydrates using light energy from the sun (during the process of photosynthesis), while animals eat plants or other animals to obtain carbohydrates. Plants store carbohydrates in long polysaccharides chains called starch, while animals store carbohydrates as the molecule glycogen.

Are carbohydrates a source of energy for animals?

Carbohydrates are the major dietary source of energy for animals. In the plant cell, carbohydrates could be present in the cell content as sugar or starch, or they could be associated with the cell wall structure (e.g., cellulose).

Why do animals eat carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are one of the major forms of energy for animals and plants. Plants build carbohydrates using light energy from the sun (during the process of photosynthesis), while animals eat plants or other animals to obtain carbohydrates.

What is the Energy Reserve carbohydrate of animals?

Glycogen is the energy reserve carbohydrate of animals. Practically all mammalian cells contain some stored carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, but it is especially abundant in the liver (4%–8% by weight of tissue) and in skeletal muscle cells (0.5%–1.0%). Like starch in plants, glycogen is found as granules in liver and muscle cells.

Why are carbohydrates found in plant cells?

In the plant cell, carbohydrates could be present in the cell content as sugar or starch, or they could be associated with the cell wall structure (e.g., cellulose). When animals eat plant materials (e.g., cereal grains, grass, fodder), energy in the feed’s carbohydrates is made available through metabolic processes in the animal cell.

What is the main energy source in animal cells?

Carbohydrates are the basic energy source in animal cells. Dietary carbohydrates obtained from plant-based products serve as a major source of energy for the animal. The chlorophyll in plant cells traps solar energy and produces carbohydrates using carbon dioxide and water and gives off oxygen, as shown in the following equation: