Table of Contents
Introduction to Heteropolysaccharides
A heteropolysaccharide is a polymer consisting of monosaccharide residues bonded together by glycosidic linkages. These linkages can be between different monosaccharides, resulting in a branched polymer, or between the same monosaccharide repeating units, resulting in a linear polymer. Heteropolysaccharides found in many different places in nature, including the cell walls of bacteria, the capsules of some viruses, and also exoskeletons of some insects.
One common type of heteropolysaccharide cellulose, which is found in the cell walls of plants. Cellulose made up of repeating units of glucose, and is used to form the tough, fibrous cell walls that give plants their strength. However other heteropolysaccharides include chitin, which found in the exoskeletons of insects, and glycogen, which is used to store energy in the liver and muscles.
Heteropolysaccharides
are a group of complex carbohydrates that composed of more than one type of monosaccharide. Heteropolysaccharides often found in plant cell walls and are responsible for the rigidity of the cell. The most common heteropolysaccharide is cellulose, which is composed of glucose monomers.
1. Peptidoglycan
Peptidoglycan a glycoprotein found in the cell walls of bacteria. It composed of peptides (short chains of amino acids) and sugar molecules. The peptides cross-linked to the sugar molecules to form a tough, mesh-like structure that provides the cell wall with strength and rigidity. Peptidoglycan also helps to protect the bacteria from osmotic stress and from the action of antibiotics.
2. Agarose
gel electrophoresis a technique used to separate DNA or RNA molecules by size. The molecules placed in a gel made of agarose, a sugar molecule found in red algae. The molecules then subjected to an electric field, which causes them to move through the gel. Larger molecules move more slowly than smaller ones, and so they separated into bands.
The agarose gel electrophoresis technique can used to determine the size of a DNA or RNA molecule. The size of a molecule can determined by comparing the distance it travels through the gel to the distance travelled by a standard molecule of known size.
3. Glycosaminoglycans
- Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) family of linear polysaccharides that found in the extracellular matrix of all animal tissues. therefore GAGs major component of the connective tissue scaffold and involved in a variety of biological processes including cell proliferation, cell migration, cell adhesion, and tissue repair.
- The GAGs family of linear polysaccharides that found in the extracellular matrix of all animal tissues. GAGs major component of the connective tissue scaffold and also involved in a variety of biological processes including cell proliferation, cell migration, cell adhesion, and tissue repair.
- Therefore the GAGs heterogeneous group of molecules that can divided into two main families: the heparan sulfate/chondroitin sulfate family and the hyaluronan family. The heparan sulfate/chondroitin sulfate family includes the molecules heparan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and keratan sulfate. The hyaluronan family includes the molecule hyaluronan.
- The GAGs synthesized by a family of enzymes known as the glycosyltransferases. These enzymes transfer sugar moieties from nucleotide sugars to specific acceptor molecules in the GAG backbone. The GAGs then secreted into the extracellular space where they assemble into larger structures.
- Therefore the GAGs a family of linear polysaccharides that found in the extracellular matrix of all animal tissues. GAGs a major component of the connective tissue scaffold and involved in a variety of biological processes including cell proliferation, cell migration, cell adhesion, and tissue repair.
Homopolysaccharide
- A homopolysaccharide a type of polymer composed of repeating monosaccharide units. The simplest homopolysaccharides composed of a single type of monosaccharide, while more complex homopolysaccharides composed of multiple types of monosaccharides.
- The most common homopolysaccharides are cellulose and glycogen. Cellulose is a structural component of plant cell walls, while glycogen is a storage molecule in animals.
Difference Between Homopolysaccharides and Heteropolysaccharides
Homopolysaccharides composed of a single type of sugar molecule, while heteropolysaccharides composed of more than one type of sugar molecule.
Polysaccharides divided into two categories
Homopolysaccharides composed of a single type of monosaccharide. However heteropolysaccharides composed of two or more different types of monosaccharides.
