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

What respectively are zygotic meiosis, What respectively are zygotic meiosi...

What respectively are zygotic meiosis, gametic meiosis and sporic meiosis? Zygotic meiosis is the one that happens in the haplontic haplobiontic life cycle. Gametes from adult

Under which conditions aerobic cells carry out fermentation, Q. Under which...

Q. Under which conditions do aerobic cells carry out fermentation? Some cells that usually obtain energy from aerobic cellular respiration can perform fermentation when oxygen

What is a community, What is a community? What is the difference between th...

What is a community? What is the difference between the concepts of community and population? A community is a set of the populations of living beings that live in the same reg

What are the processes of the photochemical stage, What are the processes o...

What are the processes of the photochemical stage of the photosynthesis process? Photolysis of water, with liberation of molecular oxygen, and photophosphorylation of ADP, with

What is the physiological explanation for the daltonism, What is the type o...

What is the type of genetic inheritance of daltonism? Is daltonism more frequent in men or in women? What is the physiological explanation for the daltonism ? The Daltonism

Define tips that should be followed before an event start, Define Tips that...

Define Tips that should be followed before an event Start? Before the event, following tips should be followed:   As the glycogen stores may be used up during night, a h

Importance of care in children, Importance of care in children Childre...

Importance of care in children Children  are not  just  small adults. This is important  to keep  in mind when evaluating how children react to illness, perceive an illness, o

What are the types of plant geotropisms, What are the types of plant geotro...

What are the types of plant geotropisms? Why do the stem and the root present opposite geotropisms? The parts of geotropisms are the positive geotropism, that in which the plan

What is the significance of the epiglottis in human body, a) What is the si...

a) What is the significance of the epiglottis in human body? b) What happens to the glycogen concentration in the liver cells when the level of adrenaline enhances in the blood

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