Polysaccharide

Polysaccharides (sometimes called glycans) are relatively complex carbohydrates.

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They are polymers made up of many monosaccharides joined together by glycosidic linkages. They are therefore very large, often branched, molecules. They tend to be amorphous, insolubile in water, and have no sweet taste.

Related Topics:
Polymer - Monosaccharide

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When all the constituent monosaccharides are of the same type they are termed homopolysaccharides; when more than one type of monosaccharide is present they are termed heteropolysaccharides.

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Examples include storage polysaccharides such as starch and glycogen and structural polysaccharides such as cellulose and chitin.

Related Topics:
Starch - Glycogen - Cellulose - Chitin

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Polysaccharides have a general formula of Cn(H2O)n-1 where n is usually a large number between 200 and 500.

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