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Amylopectin is a component of starch with a high molecular weight and a branched structure. It is one of two main components of plant starches, the other being amylose, which has a linear structure. Amylopectin molecules are more compact than amylose molecules and can contain thousands of glucose units. While most plant starches are about 75% amylopectin and 25% amylose, selective breeding has created varieties with higher amylose content. Amylopectin does not tend to gel in aqueous solutions. It is structurally similar to glycogen, another polysaccharide found in animal tissues, but with greater distances between branch points.123

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