polysakkareita

Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates composed of long chains of monosaccharide units linked together by glycosidic bonds. These polymers play crucial roles in biological systems, serving as energy storage molecules and structural components.

In plants, starch is the primary storage polysaccharide. It is a mixture of amylose, a linear polymer of glucose, and amylopectin, a branched polymer of glucose. Cellulose, another plant polysaccharide, is a major structural component of cell walls. It is a linear polymer of glucose but differs from amylose in the type of glycosidic linkage, making it more rigid and indigestible by most animals. Glycogen is the storage polysaccharide in animals, primarily found in the liver and muscles. It is a highly branched polymer of glucose, allowing for rapid release of glucose when energy is needed.

Other important polysaccharides include chitin, which forms the exoskeleton of insects and crustaceans and the cell walls of fungi, and hyaluronic acid, a component of connective tissue and extracellular matrix. The properties and functions of polysaccharides are determined by the type of monosaccharide units, the length of the polymer chain, and the degree and type of branching. Their diversity makes them essential for a wide range of biological processes.