polysaccharide
Definition
A polysaccharide is a complex carbohydrate composed of long chains of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. They serve various roles in organisms, including energy storage and providing structural support.
Analogy
Think of a polysaccharide as a freight train where each car (monosaccharide) is connected to the next by couplings (glycosidic linkages). Just as a train can carry different types of cargo across long distances, polysaccharides can store vast amounts of energy or provide structural elements to cells and tissues over time.
Related terms
Monosaccharide: The simplest form of carbohydrates that serves as the building blocks for more complex sugars like polysaccharides.
Glycosidic linkage: A type of covalent bond that joins a carbohydrate (sugar) molecule to another group, which can be another sugar or some other molecule, forming structures such as polysaccharides.
Starch: An example of a polysaccharide found in plants, serving primarily as an energy storage molecule
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