homopolüsakarit

Homopolysaccharide is a type of complex carbohydrate made up of only one type of monosaccharide unit. These units are linked together by glycosidic bonds to form long chains. The properties of a homopolysaccharide depend on the specific monosaccharide involved and the way the monosaccharide units are linked.

The most common monosaccharide found in homopolysaccharides is glucose. Starch and glycogen are examples of homopolysaccharides composed of glucose. Starch serves as an energy storage molecule in plants, while glycogen performs a similar role in animals. Both starch and glycogen can be broken down into glucose when the organism needs energy. Cellulose is another important glucose-based homopolysaccharide, forming the structural component of plant cell walls. Its linear structure and beta-glycosidic linkages make it very strong and resistant to digestion by most animals. Chitin, found in the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans, and the cell walls of fungi, is a homopolysaccharide made from N-acetylglucosamine, a modified glucose molecule.