Mojal, Lea Marie C.

BSMT 2-9

Structure of Polysaccharides

 When many monosaccharides are linked together, the result is a

polysaccharide.(can be a thousand monomer)

 All polysaccharides are formed by the same basic process where

monosaccharides are connected via glycosidic bonds.

 These glycosidic bonds consist of an oxygen molecule bridging

two carbon rings. The bond is formed when a hydroxyl group is lost from the
carbon of one molecule, while the hydrogen is lost by the hydroxyl group of
another monosaccharide. Because two molecules of hydrogen and one of
oxygen are expelled, the reaction is a dehydration reaction.

 The structure of the molecules being combined determines the structures and
properties of the resulting polysaccharide. A polysaccharide used
for energy storage will give easy access to the constituent monosaccharides
whereas a polysaccharide used for support is usually a long chain of
monosaccharides that form fibrous structures.

 Cellulose and chitin are polysaccharides with β-glycosidic linkages

 Starch and glycogen, also polysaccharides, have α-glycosidic linkages, and

they serve as carbohydrate-storage polymers in plants and animals
 A polymer that consists of only one type of monosaccharide is a
homopolysaccharide

 Starch: energy
 It is the storage polysaccharide found in
plant cells and exists in two forms:
amylose is the helical form of starch
comprised only of alpha-1,4 linkages
and amylopectin that has a structure like
glycogen except that the branched
alpha-1,6 linkages are present on only
about one in 30 monomers.
 Found in blood stream and cells

 Glycogen: store glucose

 This polysaccharide is the polysaccharide found in animals to store

energy and is composed of alpha-1,4-glycosidic bonds with branched
alpha-1,6 bonds present at about every tenth monomer.

 It is mainly produced by the liver and muscles, but it can also be made
during a process called glycogenesis.

 Cellulose:
 stiff, elongated fibrils — the perfect material for building the cell walls of
plants.
 Wood is largely cellulose while cotton and paper are almost pure
cellulose.
 There are no side chains in cellulose as there are in starch. The
absence of side chains allows these linear molecules to lie close together.
 Because of the many -OH groups, as well as the oxygen atom in the
ring, there are many opportunities for hydrogen bonds to form between
adjacent chains.

Beta glucose unit connected by 1,4-

glycosidic bonds
 a polymer that consists of more than one type of monosaccharide is a
heteropolysaccharide.

These are found in different structural and functional roles in the human body.

 Hyaluronic Acid: Acts as a lubricant in the synovial fluid of joints

 Chondroitin Sulfate: It contributes to tensile strength and elasticity of

cartilages, tendons, ligaments, and walls of the aorta.

 Dermatan sulfate: It is found mainly in the skin, and also is in vessels,

heart, lungs. It may be related to coagulation and vascular diseases and
other conditions.

 Keratan sulfate: Present in the cornea, cartilage bone and a variety of

other structures as nails and hair.

 Heparin: Is present as an anticoagulant in the blood.

Another type of polysaccharides that are found in the human body is
glycosaminoglycans or mucopolysaccharides that are formed by the
endoplasmic reticulum. These mature in the Golgi apparatus. They form
important components of connective tissues and are found in collagen and
elastin.

Functions of Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides form a crucial part of cell function and structure.

 Storage polysaccharides: Polysaccharides such as starch and

glycogen are called storage polysaccharides because they are stored in
the liver and muscles to be converted to energy later for body functions.
Starch is found in plants whereas glycogen is found in animals.

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.
 Structural polysaccharides: By far one of the largest roles of
polysaccharides is that of support. All plants on Earth are supported, in
part, by the polysaccharide cellulose. Other organisms, like insects
and fungi, use chitin to support the extracellular matrix around their cells.
A polysaccharide can be mixed with any number of other components to
create tissues that are more rigid, less rigid, or even materials with special
properties. Between chitin and cellulose, both polysaccharides made of
glucose monosaccharides, hundreds of billions of tons are created by
living organisms every year. Everything from the wood in trees, to the
shells of sea creatures is produced by some form of polysaccharide.
Simply by rearranging the structure, polysaccharides can go from storage
molecules to much stronger fibrous molecules.
 Polysaccharides such as cellulose are structural polysaccharides which
are found in the cell walls of plants. Another structural polysaccharide is
chitin.
 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.

Resources:
https://www.britannica.com
http://www.biology-pages.info