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Polysaccharides are an important class of biological polymers. Their function in living organisms is usually either structure- or storage-related. Starch (a polymer of glucose) is used as a storage polysaccharide in plants, being found in the form of both amylose and the branched amylopectin.
Amylopectin / ˌ æ m ɪ l oʊ ˈ p ɛ k t ɪ n / is a water-insoluble [1] [2] polysaccharide and highly branched polymer of α-glucose units found in plants. It is one of the two components of starch, the other being amylose. Relation of amylopectin to starch granule. Plants store starch within specialized organelles called amyloplasts. To ...
Plant mannans have β(1-4) linkages, occasionally with α(1-6) galactose branches, forming galactomannans. They are insoluble and a form of storage polysaccharide. Ivory nut is a source of mannans. An additional type is galactoglucomannan found in soft wood with a mixed mannose/glucose β(1
Pectin is composed of complex polysaccharides that are present in the primary cell walls of a plant, and are abundant in the green parts of terrestrial plants. [5] Pectin is the principal component of the middle lamella, where it binds cells. Pectin is deposited by exocytosis into the cell wall via vesicles produced in the Golgi apparatus. [6]
Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides produced by many types of plants, [1] industrially most often extracted from chicory. [2] The inulins belong to a class of dietary fibers known as fructans. Inulin is used by some plants as a means of storing energy and is typically found in roots or rhizomes.
Chitin is a modified polysaccharide that contains nitrogen; it is synthesized from units of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (to be precise, 2-(acetylamino)-2-deoxy-D-glucose). These units form covalent β-(1→4)-linkages (like the linkages between glucose units forming cellulose).
This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets, and is contained in large amounts in staple foods such as wheat, potatoes, maize (corn), rice, and cassava (manioc).
2.3 Polysaccharides. ... A major defining difference between biopolymers and synthetic polymers can be found in ... because they are made from plant or animal ...