Polysaccharide

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A polysaccharide is^[1] a complex carbohydrate. Polysaccharides are polymers made up of many monosaccharides. They are very large, often branched, molecules. They tend to be amorphous, insoluble in water, and have no sweet taste.

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.

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

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  Schematic 2-D cross-sectional view of glycogen. A core protein of glycogenin is surrounded by branches of glucose units. The entire globular granule may contain approximately 30,000 glucose units.^[2]
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  (Structure of Glycogen) Glycogen is a polysaccharide that is the principal storage form of glucose in animal cells.

1. ↑ "Chapter 3: Carbohydrates/glycans". employees.csbsju.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
2. ↑ McArdle WD, Katch FI, Katch VL (2006). Exercise physiology: energy, nutrition, and human performance (6th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-7817-4990-9.