Polysaccharide - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
A polysaccharide is a complex carbohydrate made of many sugar molecules linked together. It serves as energy storage or structural support in plants and animals, like starch or cellulose.
Definition:
A carbohydrate composed of many monosaccharide units bonded together, serving as energy storage or structural components in organisms.
Synonyms:
glycan, complex carbohydrate, oligosaccharide
Part of Speech:
noun
Antonyms:
monosaccharide, disaccharide
Common Collocations:
dietary polysaccharide, structural polysaccharide, plant polysaccharide
Derivatives:
polysaccharidic, polysaccharidase
Usage Tips:
Use "polysaccharide" when referring to complex carbohydrates like starch or cellulose in biological contexts.
Common Phrases:
energy storage polysaccharide, plant cell wall polysaccharides, bacterial polysaccharides
Etymology:
From Greek "poly-" (many) + "saccharon" (sugar), meaning a chain of sugar molecules.
Examples:
- 1. Starch is a common polysaccharide found in potatoes and grains.
- 2. Cellulose, a structural polysaccharide, gives plants their rigidity.
- 3. Glycogen serves as a polysaccharide energy reserve in animals.
- 4. Some bacteria produce extracellular polysaccharides for protection and adhesion.