Why is starch good for storage?

Starch is an ideal storage molecule because:

• it is insoluble and therefore doesn't affect the water potential of the cell
• it is large and therefore cannot diffuse from the cell
• it is compact and therefore much can be stored in a small space
• it is branched and has many ends and therefore can be hydrolysed rapidly by many enzymes at the same time
• it releases alpha-glucose when hydrolysed - this is easily transported and can be directly respired