Why can cellulose sit in water for centuries, but starch not?

Cellulose and starch are polysaccharides, since they have similarities in the structure of atoms, but the properties of these substances are very different. Cellulose or wood does not dissolve in water, while starch swells in water, creating a paste. In starch, the degree of polymerization is much less and this promotes the hydrolysis of its macromolecule. Starch has a branched structure of molecular units, in contrast to cellulose, which has a linear structure of molecular units. Thus, water more easily penetrates into the structure of starch, which contributes to its solubility.