How do plant and animal cells store energy?

Both plant and animal cells store energy, but they use different molecules to do so. Animal cells store energy in the form of glycogen molecules, whereas plant cells store their energy in starch. Plant and animal cells contain many of the same organelles, but some structures are only found in plant cells.

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.

What energy factories are found in plants and animals?

Both animal and plant cells contain mitochondria and plants have the additional energy factories called chloroplasts. The chloroplasts collect energy from the sun and use carbon dioxide and water in the process called photosynthesis to produce sugars.

What is the storage of sugars and fats in animal and plant cells?

The storage of sugars and fats in animal and plant cells. (A) The structures of starch and glycogen, the storage form of sugars in plants and animals, respectively. Both are storage polymers of the sugar glucose and differ only in the frequency of branch (more...)

How do plants use energy?

Plants, like this oak tree and acorn, use energy from sunlight to make sugar and other organic molecules. Both plants and animals (like this squirrel) use cellular respiration to derive energy from the organic molecules originally produced by plants The metabolism of any monosaccharide (simple sugar) can produce energy for the cell to use.

What molecules are used and stored in plants?

It is important, therefore, to understand how these important molecules are used and stored. Plants are notable in storing glucose for energy in the form of amylose and amylopectin (see and for structural integrity in the form of cellulose.