Table of Contents
What are Polysaccharides and What are Their Different Types?
A polysaccharide is a molecule composed of many monosaccharide units bonded together. There are many different types of polysaccharides, each with a unique structure and function.
The most common type of polysaccharide is starch, which made up of glucose monomers. Starch is found in plants and is used as a source of energy.
- Cellulose is another common type of polysaccharide. It found in the cell walls of plants and is used to form structural support.
- Glycogen a type of polysaccharide that is found in animals. It used as a source of energy.
- Chitin a type of polysaccharide that found in the cell walls of fungi and insects. It used for structural support.
What is a Polysaccharide?
A polysaccharide a molecule composed of many monosaccharide units bonded together. However the monosaccharides can be the same or different.
Types of Polysaccharides
There are three types of polysaccharides:
- Starch: This is the most common type of polysaccharide and found in foods like grains, potatoes, and pasta. It made up of long chains of glucose molecules.
- Glycogen: This is a type of starch that found in the liver and muscles.However it made up of shorter chains of glucose molecules.
- Cellulose: This is a type of fiber that found in plants. It made up of long chains of glucose molecules that linked together.
Structure of Polysaccharides:
A polysaccharide a large, complex carbohydrate made up of many monosaccharide units bonded together. The individual monosaccharide units can be simple or complex. However the simplest monosaccharide is the sugar glucose, which is a component of DNA and RNA. The most complex monosaccharide is the sugar maltose, which found in beer and bread.
The structure of a polysaccharide determined by the way the monosaccharide units bonded together. There are three types of bonds that can form between monosaccharide units:
- Covalent bonds, which formed when two monosaccharide units joined together by a chemical bond.
- Glycosidic bonds, which formed when a sugar molecule bonded to a glycosyl group.
- Hydrogen bonds, which are weak bonds that form between the hydroxyl groups of two sugar molecules.
The most common type of bond between monosaccharide units is the glycosidic bond. In a polysaccharide, the monosaccharide units usually arranged in a repeating pattern. Therefore the pattern of monosaccharide units in a polysaccharide can be simple or complex.
Polysaccharide Classification
Polysaccharides are classified by their monosaccharide constituents.
- Glucans a polysaccharides composed of glucose molecules.
- Glycans also a polysaccharides composed of glycose molecules.
- Fructans a polysaccharides composed of fructose molecules.
- Galactans also a polysaccharides composed of galactose molecules.
Polysaccharide Examples
Examples of polysaccharides include cellulose, glycogen, and also starch.
Differences and Similarities between Chitin and Cellulose
The main difference between chitin and cellulose is that chitin is a polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, while cellulose is a polymer of glucose. Chitin found in the cell walls of fungi and in the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans, while cellulose is the most common plant carbohydrate and found in the cell walls of all plants. Chitin is less soluble in water than cellulose, and has a higher melting point.
