Name of Specific

Number of Types of
Polysacchari Linkage Function of Enzyme Importance Source
Sugar Units Linked Sugar
de Sugar

Energy
Beta- Green
Amylose 50-5,000 α(1,4) D-Glucose storage in
amylase plants
plants

Energy
6 α(1,4) with Beta- Green
Amylopectin Up to 10 D-Glucose storage in
α(1,6) amylase plants
plants

Energy
α and β
Up to α(1,4) with storage in Animals,
Glycogen D-Glucose amylase,
50,000 α(1,6) bacteria and Bacteria
maltase
animal cells

Gives Green
Up to rigidity and plants,
Cellulose β(1,4) D-Glucose cellulase
15,000 structure to some
plants bacteria

Forms thin,
transparent,
α(1,6) +
Pullulan 80 to 480 D-Glucose pullulanase oil resistant, Yeast
α(1,4)
impermeabl
e to O2 films

Callose Up to 104 β(1,3) D-Glucose β(1,3) Produced by Green

glucanases plants in plants
response to
wounding
and
pathogen
 infections

Gives
rigidity and
N-acetyl-D- strength to Fungi,
Chitin Very large β(1,4) chitinase
Glucosamine exoskeleton arthropods
s of
arthropods

Stores
20 to Endoinulinas
energy in Some plant
Inulin several β(2,6) D-Fructose e and
roots and tubers
thousands exoinulinase
rhizomes

Structural
Importance
in
vertebrates,
extracellular
Glucuronic
matrix of Animal
Up to acid + N- hyalunorida
Hyaluronan β(1,4) skin and connective
100,000 acetylglucosa se
connective tissue
mine
tissue,
viscosity
and
lubrication
in joints

In algae, cell
β(1,4) and Red
Agar-agar 1,000 Galactose agarase wall
α(1,3) seaweed
material

Murein Very large β(1,4) N-acetyl-D- Murein In bacteria, Bacterial

(Peptidoglyc Glucosamine hydrolase, gives
 rigidity and
+ N-acetyl-D- strength to
an) cellosyl cell wall
Muramic Acid cell
envelope

Main -
In bacteria,
α(1,6), Some
Dextran Very large D-Glucose dextranase cellular
branch – bacteria
adhesive
α(1,3)