Differentiate between

(a) Nucleotide and Nucleoside

(b) Amylose and Amylopectin

(a) A unit formed by the attachment of a base to 1′ position of sugar is known as nucleoside. In nucleosides, the sugar carbons are numbered as 1′, 2′, 3′, etc. in order to distinguish these from the bases. When nucleoside is linked to phosphoric acid at 5′-position of sugar moiety, we get a nucleotide. Nucleotides are joined together by phosphodiester linkage between 5′ and 3′ carbon atoms of the pentose sugar.

(b) Amylose is water soluble component which constitutes about 15-20% of starch. Chemically amylose is a long unbranched chain with 200-1000 α-D-(+)-glucose units held together by C1– C4 glycosidic linkage. Amylopectin is insoluble in water and constitutes about 80-85% of starch. It is a branched chain polymer of α-D-glucose units in which chain is formed by C1–C4 glycosidic linkage whereas branching occurs by C1–C6 glycosidic linkage.