Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are long chain carbohydrate molecules comprising of monosaccharides linked via glycosidic bonds, these chains can be linear or branched. Polysaccharides are high molecular weight molecules, primarily consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are generally solids, often insoluble in water and of a non-crystalline nature.

Polysaccharides perform a variety of functions in nature including energy storage molecules such as starch and glycogen whilst others are structural molecules such as chitin found in some exoskeletons and cellulose often a component of plant cell walls, other still are found the secretions from microbial organisms.

Humans exploit natural polysaccharides and their derivatives in a wide range of applications. Medical applications such as heparin as an anticoagulant, use in cosmetic products such as hyaluronic acid in skin creams, other polysaccharides are utilised in the food industry including pectin, carrageenan and curdlan.