Polysaccharides are the complex carbohydrates made up of repeated units of monosaccharides with the help of glucoside bonds. This article is all about structure, functions and characteristics of different polysaccharides. This Presentation is dedicated by Innoclazz. For more articles please visit our website

1. Polysaccharides
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2. Introduction
The most common nutrients among all are the
carbohydrates which are a major source of food .
The fundamental function of any type of carbs is to
release energy necessary for day-to-day activities
and bodily process. A carbohydrate is a biomolecule
made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
When these 3 form repeating units the result is
either any one of the sugars (monosaccharide,
oligosaccharides and polysaccharides).

3. Classification of carbs
 Monosaccharides– Monosaccharides are formed by 1-3
repeating units of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms
and the best examples are glucose and galactose.
 Oligosaccharides or disaccharides are made up of 3-10
monosaccharide units , some of them are sucrose and
maltose.
 Polysaccharides are those in which there are more than
10 monosaccharide units held by glycoside linkages.
Starch, glycogen, and cellulose are examples of
polysaccharides. This article explains the structure,
characteristics and functions of polysaccharides.


4. Polysaccharides
 Polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose are the
complex carbs provides ample energy to most of the
mammals.
 They are made by repeating units of many smaller
monosaccharides. There are 2 principal types of
polysaccharides; Homopolysaccharides or a
Heteropolysaccharides.
 When broken, polysaccharides form many
oligosaccharides or monosaccharides, however, they are
not easily dissolved in the normal conditions.
Polysaccharides cont……….

5. Polysaccharides cont………….
 It is easy for the mammals to break down starches into
glucose; nevertheless, most organisms cannot metabolize
cellulose or other polysaccharides such as chitin and
arabinoxylans.
 Polysaccharides are another important source of dietary
fiber that enhance digestion process. The dietary fiber
that we consume can change the nature of the contents
of the gastrointestinal tract by absorbing water inside it.
When soluble fiber binds with bile acids, it doesn’t allow
the lipids to enter the blood easily , this in turn help in
reducing the intake of cholesterol levels.

6. Characteristics of Polysaccharides
 Polysaccharides are not sweet in taste unlike fructose and
glucose.
 Most of them are insoluble in water as they are
hydrophobic in nature.
 They can be crushed into amorphous-powder and they do
not form crystals on desiccation.
 They are bulky as they have high molecular weight when
compared to other carbs.
 They yield more energy when compared to other carbs
however it takes more time to break the complex
molecules into simpler ones.
 They consist of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. The
hydrogen to oxygen ratio being 2:1.
 They are fibrous in nature.

7. Classification of Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides are categorized into
Homopolysaccharides and
Heteropolysaccharides.

8. Homopolysaccharides
 Homopolysaccharides are those that contains the same
type of repeating units of monosaccharides. Some of the
most common polysaccharides are important
Homopolysaccharides are glycogen, cellulose, starch and
insulin.
 Glycogen contains large chain of molecules usually found
in animals and fungi.
 Cellulose is a polysaccharide, a component of plant`s
cell wall and it has long chain of glycosides.
 Starch is synthesized by the condensation of amylose and
amylopectin which is commonly seen in plants, fruits and
seeds.
 Insulin is made up of a number of fructofuranose
molecules usually found in the tubers of dahlia,
artichoke, etc.

9. Heteropolysaccharides
 These are polysaccharides containing
different types of monosaccharides
arranged in a chain.
 Some of them are Hyaluronic Acid,
Heparin, Gamma globulin and Chondroitin-
4-sulfate. Hyaluronic Acid is made up of D-
glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-glucosamine
which is commonly seen in the connective
tissues and skin.
Cont…………..

10. Cont.…………..
 Heparin is made up of D-glucuronic acid, L-
iduronic acid, N-sulfo-D-glucosamine and they are
scattered largely in mast cells and blood.
 Chondroitin-4-sulfate is a component sugars
such as D-glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-D-
galactosamine-4-O-sulfate which is found in the
cartilages. Gamma globulin is made up of units
of N-acetyl-hexosamine, D-mannose and D-
galactose which are found in the blood.
Cont.……………..

11. Functions of Polysaccharides
 The polysaccharides are the integral part of
structural and functional framework of our cells .
Some of the most common functions of
polysaccharides are as follows.
 They store energy in organisms in the form of
glycogen.
 They are very rich in dietary-fiber hence they
serve as the bulk of our food making food easy to
digest and absorb.

12.  They are the reason behind the concentration gradient
across cells which influences the uptake of nutrients and
water by the cells.
 Polysaccharides such as glycogen become covalently
bonded with lipids and proteins to form glycolipids and
glycoproteins and these are used to convey signals
between and within the cells.
 They aid in support to the cells in the form of cell wall
of plants . The plant’s cell wall is made up of is made up
of polysaccharide like cellulose In insects and fungi,
chitin plays an important role in providing support to the
extracellular matrix around the cells.

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