Operational definition
Storage-timescale category.
Dedicated chemical stores that can be accumulated during surplus and mobilized over an intermediate interval to support metabolism.
Examples include:
- glycogen;
- starch;
- soluble reserve carbohydrates;
- some microbial storage polymers;
- temporary reduced compounds.
The exact timescale is relative to the organism: hours in one organism may be a substantial life-history interval in another.
58.1 Carbohydrates
- glycogen
- starch
- fructans
- soluble sugars
58.2 Microbial storage polymers
- polyhydroxyalkanoates
- glycogen granules
- polyphosphate
- sulfur globules
- other taxon-specific reserve inclusions