Although Cellulose and Starch are based on the same monomeric unit (D-glucose), they have different properties. What is the reason behind this?
Here you can find some illustrations about the different polymers:
https://www.bankofbiology.com/2014/07/comparison-between-starch-glycogen-and.html
so its basically a-Glucose vs b-Glucose as different monomers and a certain content of branched polymerchains in starch that are responisble for the different properties.
Cellulose is a linear polymer and starch is consist of linear and branches. These arrangement do effect the properties.
The reason is due to the different types of bonding between cellulose and starch. Cellulose has beta-1,4 bonds that are not digested by our enzymes (which can digest alfa-1,4 and alfa-1,6 bonds that are present in starch and glycogen). However, some bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of human and other animal species can use cellulose as an energy source since they are able to break the beta 1,4 bonds. Actually, that is one of the concepts of fiber (carbohydrates that are not digested by the enzymes produced by the animal, being fermented by bacteria).
The arrangement of the glucose units in starch also differs between amylose (linear structure with alfa-1,4 bonds) and amylopectin (branched structure with alfa-1,6 bonds), explaining the differences in glucose absorption between ingredients with different proportions of these two polymers.
The link sent by Stefan Schüßler above shows all these topics in a clear way.
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