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define polysaccharide in biology
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A polysaccharide is a large molecule made of many smaller monosaccharides. Monosaccharides are simple sugars, like glucose. Special enzymes bind these small monomers together creating large sugar polymers, or polysaccharides. A polysaccharide is also called a glycan. A polysaccharide can be a homopolysaccharide, in which all the monosaccharides are the same, or a heteropolysaccharide in which the monosaccharides vary. Depending on which monosaccharides are connected, and which carbons in the monosaccharides connects, polysaccharides take on a variety of forms. A molecule with a straight chain of monosaccharides is called a linear polysaccharide, while a chain that has arms and turns is known as a branched polysaccharide.
Functions of a Polysaccharide
Depending on their structure, polysaccharides can have a wide variety of functions in nature. Some polysaccharides are used for storing energy, some for sending cellular messages, and others for providing support to cells and tissues.
Storage of Energy
Many polysaccharides are used to store energy in organisms. While the enzymes that produce energy only work on the monosaccharides stored in a polysaccharide, polysaccharides typically fold together and can contain many monosaccharides in a dense area. Further, as the side chains of the monosaccharides form as many hydrogen bonds as possible with themselves, water cannot intrude the molecules, making them hydrophobic. This property allows the molecules to stay together and not dissolve into the cytosol. This lowers the sugar concentration in a cell, and more sugar can then be taken in. Not only do polysaccharides store the energy, but they allow for changes in the concentration gradient, which can influence cellular uptake of nutrients and water.
Cellular Communication
Many polysaccharides become glycoconjugates when they become covalently bonded to proteins or lipids. Glycolipids and glycoproteins can be used to send signals between and within cells. Proteins headed for a specific organelle may be “tagged” by certain polysaccharides that help the cell move it to a specific organelle. The polysaccharides can be identified by special proteins, which then help bind the protein, vesicle, or other substance to a microtubule. The system of microtubules and associated proteins within cells can take any substance to its destined location once tagged by specific polysaccharides. Further, multi-cellular organisms have immune systems driven by the recognition of glycoproteins on the surface of cells. The cells of a single organisms will produce specific polysaccharides to adorn its cells with. When the immune system recognizes other polysaccharides and different glycoproteins, it is set into action, and destroys the invading cells.
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Polysaccharide is a large molecule made of many small monosaccharides. Monosaccharides are simple sugars like glucose. Special enzymes bind these small monomers together, creating large sugar polymers or polysaccharides.
Basically, polysaccharides are carbohydrates ( eg: starch, cellulose, or glycogen) whose molecules consist of a number of sugar molecules bonded together...
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