Polysaccharides and Their Functions

This set of flashcards covers essential vocabulary related to polysaccharides and their functions, including definitions and key concepts.

Sucrose

A disaccharide formed from glucose and fructose.

Hydrolysis

The chemical process that involves breaking a bond by adding water.

Condensation

The process of joining two molecules by removing water.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides.

Maltose

A disaccharide formed from two glucose molecules.

Polysaccharide

A complex carbohydrate made up of many monosaccharide units.

Starch

A polysaccharide used for energy storage in plants, consisting of amylose and amylopectin.

Glycogen

A polysaccharide used for energy storage in animals, more branched than starch.

Cellulose

A polysaccharide made of β-glucose units, forming a linear structure.

Glycosidic bond

The type of bond that links monosaccharides to form disaccharides and polysaccharides.

Amylose

A linear component of starch made of α-glucose linked by α-1,4 glycosidic bonds.

Amylopectin

A branched component of starch made of α-glucose with both α-1,4 and α-1,6 glycosidic bonds.

Hydrogen bond

A weak attraction between molecules that occur between hydrogen and electronegative atoms.

β-glucose

A form of glucose where the hydroxyl group is oriented upwards in the cyclic form.

B-1,4 glycosidic bond

A bond formed between β-glucose molecules in cellulose.