POLYSACCHARIDES:

Polysaccharide formation and break down:

-A polysaccharideis formed when more than two monosaccharides are joined together by
condensation reactions
-A polysaccharide can be broken down into its constituent monosaccharides through hydrolysis
reactions

Functions of Polysaccharides:

-The structure has a direct influence with the function of the following polysaccharides

Starch:

-Cells get any energy from glucose, plants store their addititional glucose as starch
-When a plant need mores glucose for energy, it breaks down starch to release energy/glucose
-Starch is a mixture of two polysaccharides of alpha glucose- amylose and amylopectin
-Amylose is a long unbranched chain of alpha glucose
-The angles of the glycosidic bonds give it a coiled structure
-This makes it very compact, which is ideal for storage as it
becomes very small because you can fit it into a small space
-Amylopectin is a long branched chain of alpha glucose
-Its side branches allow the enzyme that breaks down the
molecule to get access to the glycosidic bonds easier and
more efficiently
-Starch is insoluble in water and does not affect the water potential,
in other words it does not cause water to enter the cell through
osmosis
-If water did enter through osmosis it would cause the cell to swell,
this is another factor that makes it good for storage

Glycogen:

-Animal cells also receive their energy from glucose,

however animals sore their glucose as glycogen
-This is another polysaccharide made up of alpha
glucose monomers
-It has a structure which is similar to amylopectin but has even more side branches coming of it
-The more branches, the quicker the glucose can be accesed and therfore be released at a
quicker rate
-It is also a compact molecule and good for storage

Cellulose:

-It is made of long, unbranched chains of beta

glucose
-When beta glucose molecules bond together,
they form straight cellulose chains
-The cellulose chains are linked together to
form hydorgen bonds (which are weak on their
own but strong together)
-These hydrogen bonds form fibres called
microfibrils
-The strong fibres mean cellulose provides
structural supports for cells e.g. the cell wall in
plants

The Iodine test for starch:

1.) Mix your substance with water unless it is already in liquid form
2.) If there is starch present the substance changes from a browny orange to a blue-black
colour