Disaccharides, Oligosaccharides and Polysaccharides

Abstract

This chapter discusses common cellulose and glycogen and oligomers and polymers derived from single carbohydrate monomers. Cellulose is a b-1 4-linked polymer of D-glucose, and is one of the most abundant biopolymers on earth. It is the major structural component of green plants in which it is found in primary and secondary cell walls, and it is estimated that 1015 kg of cellulose are synthesized annually. Cellulose is the major component of plant secondary walls and thus the main component of plant fibers. In the cell wall, the cellulose of plant fibers is embedded in a matrix of other polysaccharides, forming a biocomposite. Glycogen particles contain at their core a dimeric protein termed..