BRAINCAKEPolysaccharides
A polysaccharide is a polymer made of many monosaccharide units, often thousands, joined by glycosidic bonds formed in condensation reactions. Each new bond releases a molecule of water.
Polysaccharides can be unbranched chains or branched, and the type of monomer and the type of glycosidic bond decide the shape and properties:
• starch: made of α-glucose; the energy store of plants
• glycogen: made of α-glucose; the energy store of animals and fungi
• cellulose: made of β-glucose; a structural material in plant cell walls
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Key terms in this lesson
- hydrolysis
- A reaction that breaks a chemical bond between two molecules by adding a molecule of water, often catalysed by an enzyme.
- condensation reaction
- A reaction in which two molecules join together by forming a chemical bond, releasing a molecule of water.
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