Polysaccharide
A carbohydrate polymer built from many monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds.
Formula / equation
(C₆H₁₀O₅)ₙ
Unit
Dimensionless
In depth
Polysaccharides are not sweet, are largely insoluble, and serve storage or structural roles rather than acting as fuel directly. Their properties depend dramatically on the type of glycosidic linkage, which determines whether the chains coil or lie flat and bundle together.
Examples in the real world
Starch and glycogen for storage; cellulose and chitin for structure.