What classification do starch and glycogen fall under?

Starch and glycogen are both classified as complex carbohydrates because they are composed of long chains of glucose molecules. Complex carbohydrates consist of multiple sugar units bonded together, which distinguishes them from simple carbohydrates that have fewer sugar units.

Starch, found in plants, serves as an energy storage form and can be broken down by the body into glucose when needed. Glycogen, on the other hand, is the storage form of glucose in animals and is primarily found in the liver and muscles. Both starch and glycogen require enzymes for digestion due to their complex structure, which results in a slower, more sustained release of energy as compared to simple carbohydrates.

In contrast, simple carbohydrates consist of one or two sugar units; monosaccharides contain a single sugar unit (like glucose and fructose), while disaccharides consist of two sugar units (like sucrose and lactose). Thus, the presence of multiple glucose units in starch and glycogen clearly categorizes them under complex carbohydrates.