FUNCTIONALLY POLYSACCHARIDES ARE OF THREE TYPES - Storage, Structural, Mucopolysaccharides
- Storage polysaccharides function as reserve food which can be hydrolyzed to form sugars required for respiration and biosynthesis, e.g., starch, glycogen, insulin.
- Structural polysaccharides are fibrous polysaccharides that are employed in the formation of cell walls of plants, fungi, and exoskeleton of arthropods, e.g., cellulose, fungus cellulose and chitin.
- Mucopolysaccharides are slime and mucilage producing polysaccharides, e.g., hyaluronic acid, keratan sulphate, chondroitin sulphate, phycocolloids, pectins, etc.