Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates that consist of long chains of monosaccharides linked together by glycosidic bonds. They serve as energy storage molecules or provide structural support in living organisms.
There are two main types of polysaccharides. Storage polysaccharides include starch, which is found in plants such as potatoes, wheat, and rice, and glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles of animals as a reserve energy source. Structural polysaccharides include cellulose, which provides strength and support to plant cell walls, and chitin, which forms the exoskeleton of insects and the cell walls of fungi.
Polysaccharides play an important role in biological systems by storing energy for later use and providing structural integrity to cells and tissues.