polysaccharide

[ pol-ee-sak-uh-rahyd, -rid ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a carbohydrate, as starch, inulin, or cellulose, containing more than three monosaccharide units per molecule, the units being attached to each other in the manner of acetals, and therefore capable of hydrolysis by acids or enzymes to monosaccharides.

polysaccharide

/ ˌpɒlɪˈsækəˌrəʊz; ˌpɒlɪˈsækəˌraɪd; -rɪd; -ˌrəʊs /

noun

1. See oligosaccharide
   any one of a class of carbohydrates whose molecules contain linked monosaccharide units: includes starch, inulin, and cellulose. General formula: (C 6 H 10 O 5 ) n See also oligosaccharide

polysaccharide

/ pŏl′ē-săk′ə-rīd′ /

1. Any of a class of carbohydrates that are made of long chains of simple carbohydrates (called monosaccharides). Starch and cellulose are polysaccharides.
2. Compare monosaccharide

Word History and Origins

Origin of polysaccharide¹

First recorded in 1890–95; poly- + saccharide

Example Sentences

Kelp blades are lined with cells containing sulfated polysaccharides, essentially chains of sugar molecules that give kelp its slimy texture.

From Popular-Science

It is a constituent of sucrose, of raffinose, and of the polysaccharide inulin, from which it may be obtained by hydrolysis.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cellulose
• glucose
• lactose
• starch
• sugar