What are the structural differences between \(\alpha\) - and \(\beta\) -glucose? These two cyclic forms of glucose are the building blocks to form two different polymers. Explain.

Glucose is a simple sugar called a monosaccharide and is composed of six carbon atoms. The two different forms of glucose, called α-glucose and β-glucose, occur due to the arrangement of the -OH groups on its cyclic structure. These are called anomers and can form different polymers.

The main difference between α-glucose and β-glucose lies in the position of the hydroxyl (-OH) group on the first carbon (C1) in their cyclic structure. In α-glucose, the hydroxyl group (-OH) on C1 is below the plane of the ring (axial), while in β-glucose, the -OH group on C1 is above the plane of the ring (equatorial).

α-glucose molecules form the polymer called starch, mainly found in plants and used as an energy storage molecule. Starch consists of two types of glucose polymers: amylose (which is a linear chain) and amylopectin (which is a branched chain). The glycosidic bond in starch is the α-1,4-glycosidic bond (for linear chains) and the α-1,6-glycosidic bond (for branches). β-glucose molecules form the polymer called cellulose, which serves as the structural component of plant cell walls. Cellulose chains are linear with β-1,4-glycosidic bonds between glucose units. Multiple cellulose chains are held together by hydrogen bonds, forming strong microfibrils (bundles of cellulose chains), providing structural support to plant cells.

The varying positions of the hydroxyl group (-OH) on C1 in α-glucose and β-glucose lead to different ways in which their respective polymers, starch and cellulose, are formed. In α-glucose, when the -OH group on C1 and the -OH group on C4 of the neighboring α-glucose molecule are brought close together, they form α-1,4-glycosidic bonds. The axial configuration of the C1 -OH group in α-glucose results in a helical structure, present in the amylose and amylopectin of starch. In β-glucose, the equatorial position of the C1 -OH groups allows the glucose molecules to form β-1,4-glycosidic bonds and produce a linear chain present in cellulose. These linear chains are then able to form strong hydrogen bonds between them, making cellulose a fibrous and more rigid structure compared to the α-glucose-based starch. To summarize, the different positions of the hydroxyl group (-OH) on C1 in α-glucose and β-glucose result in distinct glycosidic bonds and structures in their respective polymers, starch and cellulose.