Glycaans
Glycaans, also known as glycans or oligosaccharides, are complex carbohydrates composed of a chain of monosaccharide (simple sugar) units. They are fundamental building blocks found throughout the biological world, playing crucial roles in a vast array of cellular processes. The diversity of glycaans arises from the many different types of monosaccharides that can be linked together, as well as the various ways these linkages can occur, including alpha and beta linkages and different positions on the sugar rings. This structural variability allows for an immense repertoire of glycan structures, each with potentially unique functions.
Glycans are attached to other molecules, such as proteins to form glycoproteins, or lipids to form glycolipids.