What is the difference between Glycogen and Starch?

Starch is a carbohydrate that consists of a chain of glucose units. When it is taken, it will be broken down to give glucose or sugar. Glycogen, on the other hand, is a polysaccharide, a form of carbohydrate stored in animals that can be converted to glucose as needed. Glycogen is made by the stomach, muscles, and liver and stored in all animal cells. Glycogen serves as a secondary form of energy in animals. Glycogen is found only in animals. On the contrary, starch is found both in plants and animals. Animals get most of their sugar from plants when it is produced as starch. When the glucose or sugar level of the body has been exhausted, the glycogen will be converted to sugar to give energy to the body. Starch has two compounds in its structure; amylopectin and amylose. Starch has 80% amylopectin and 20% amylose. On the other hand, glycogen has more branches than starch.

Glycogen and starch may seem similar because they have certain properties that are the same. When you say glycogen, this is a type of energy storage carbohydrate that can be found in fungi and mostly in animals. Starch, on the other hand, is something that you will find in plants. Another difference is the number of molecules that make up starch and glycogen. Glycogen is made up of just one molecule while starch is made up of two molecules. The two molecules that you can find in glycogen are amylose and amylopectin. Glycogen will also have shorter chains and will be branched more as compared to starch.