Functions of polysaccharides, Biology

Assignment Help:

FUNCTIONS OF POLYSACCHARIDES

  • Chitin is a structural component of fungal cell wall and exoskeleton of insects, crustaceans and some other arthropods.
  • Peptidoglycan or Murien is structural component of bacterial cell wall.
  • Mucilage or Slime Sheath is a mucopolysaccharide based viscous solution that is formed outside the body of many aquatic organisms to protect them from rotting effect of water, epiphytes and toxic chemicals. Mucilage may form a capsule around certain bacteria.
  • In plants pectic compounds and in animals hyaluronic acid are used as cell cement.
  • Mucus is a formed from mucoproteins and is meant for protecting lining layers of various tracts in the body from corroding chemicals and harmful microbes e.g., respiratory tract, stomach, intestine, cervix, etc.
  • Glycocalyx is a sugar coating over the cell membrane in animal cells which has several functions like

                     (a) Protection                   (b) Providing shape        (c) Attacting cations

                     (d) Sites for recognition    (e) Sites for receptors    (f) Blood group antigens  (g) Antibodies

  • Heparin is anticoagulant of blood and connective tissue.
  • Hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulphate provide lubrication to different body parts like tendons, ligaments, skin, connective tissue, joints (as synovial fluid), central nervous system (as cerebrospinal fluid), tissues (interstitial fluid), eyes (vitreous humour), etc.
  • Pectin is used as jellying agent.
  • Agar (from red algae Gelidium, Gracilaria) is used as culture medium, emulsifying and stabilizing agent in dairy products, confectioners and cosmetics.

Monosaccharide test = Benedict's test & Fehling's test

Polysaccharide test = Iodine test

Note :- Galactosemia disease in children can be removed by giving milk less diet.


Related Discussions:- Functions of polysaccharides

Explain micafungin, Explain Micafungin It is an echinocandin indicated ...

Explain Micafungin It is an echinocandin indicated for treatment of esophageal candidiasis and prophylaxis of invasive Candida infections in patients undergoing hematopoietic s

Explain the feeding 6-12 months infant, Explain the Feeding 6-12 Months Inf...

Explain the Feeding 6-12 Months Infant? As the infant grows older, mother's milk alone is not sufficient to meet his increasing needs. This could be seen in few infants between

Explain manifests dominant phenotype, Why can the crossing of an individual...

Why can the crossing of an individual that manifests dominant phenotype with another that manifests recessive phenotype (for the same trait) determine whether the dominant individu

Determine the term - techniques visualise anatomy, Determine the term - tec...

Determine the term - techniques visualise anatomy Some techniques visualise anatomy, provide objective confirmation of structural abnormality. These include neuroradiological i

What is translocation, What is Translocation? Sometimes pieces of two c...

What is Translocation? Sometimes pieces of two chromosomes that are not homologous break off at the same time. If the broken pieces are re-attached to the opposite (in this cas

Difference between carriers of hiv and aids patients, Q. What is the differ...

Q. What is the difference between carriers of HIV and AIDS patients? A person be able to be a carrier of the HIV without necessarily being affected by the immunodeficiency synd

Principal categories in classification, Q. Principal categories in classifi...

Q. Principal categories in classification? First of all there is a need to know what classification is? Let us define in simple term. Classification is placing of a plant (or g

Eukaryote, Eukaryote is the type of cell found in several organisms includ...

Eukaryote is the type of cell found in several organisms including single-celled protists and multicellular fungi, plants, and animals as well; characterized by a membrane-bounded

Prevention and control from escherichia coli, Q. Prevention and Control fro...

Q. Prevention and Control from escherichia coli? Prevention and Control: Involves avoiding contaminated food and water that have high coliform counts, avoiding unpasteurized ju

Explain the term viruses, Normal 0 false false false EN...

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd