What is the difference between disaccharides and polysaccharides

Monosaccharides are quite small and form either chain or ring structures. Polysaccharides, however, contain hundreds or even thousands of monosaccharides and a high molecular weight.

While monosaccharides such as glucose provide short-term energy, polysaccharides provide longer storage of energy. Cells use monosaccharides quickly. The molecules can bond to cell membrane lipids and aid in signaling. But for longer storage, monosaccharides must be converted to either disaccharides or polysaccharides via condensation polymerization.

The polysaccharides become too large to cross a cell membrane, hence their storage capability. Starches represent polysaccharides used by plants and their seeds to store energy.

Starches are made of the glucose polymers, amylose and amylopectin. Polysaccharides can be broken down or hydrolyzed in the cell, as energy is needed in the form of monosaccharides. This is how animals use plant starches to make glucose for metabolism.

The base monosaccharide of cellulose is glucose. The straight cellulose molecules make up rows in a stable form via the weak but prevalent hydrogen bonds between them. Disaccharides have two ring structures.

Monosaccharides have a single ring structure. Significance Polysaccharides are the structural component of cell walls and act as the energy reserves.

Plants use disaccharides to transport monosaccharides like glucose, fructose and galactose between cells. Monosaccharides are chief energy source of energy with 4 calories per gram. Molecular Weight Polysaccharides have a relatively larger molecular weight when compared to disaccharides. Disaccharides have a relatively larger molecular weight when compared to monosaccharides.

Monosaccharides have a relatively lower molecular weight when compared to disaccharides and polysaccharides. Examples of Foods Examples of polysaccharide food include wheat, oats, buckwheat, whole-grain bread, brown rice, legumes and rye. Disaccharides are usually added as sweeteners to food, an example is table sugar. Disaccharides are also found in foods like beetroot.

Foods that can be said to be examples of monosaccharides include cane sugars, honey, beans, fruits and dairy products. Polysaccharides are polymeric carbohydrate molecules composed of long chains of monosaccharide units bounded together by glycosidic bonds.

Classification Monosaccharides can be classified by the number of carbon atoms they contain for example triose 3 , tetrose 4 , pentose 5 , hexose 6 , heptose 7 and so on. Not further classified into different types. Solubility Soluble in water. Soluble in water. The bond formed between the two monomers is known as a glycosidic bond. During this reaction, a water molecule is removed.

Hence, this is a condensation reaction. Sometimes, both the monomers in a disaccharide are the same and sometimes they are different. For example, to produce maltose, two glucose molecules are participating. Fructose is made by the condensation reaction between a glucose and fructose, whereas lactose is made from glucose and galactose.

Disaccharides are also common in nature. For example, sucrose is found in fruits and vegetables. And lactose is found in milk. Disaccharides can be hydrolyzed and produce the relevant monomers back. Polysaccharide as a noun carbohydrate :. The difference between Disaccharide and Polysaccharide When used as nouns , disaccharide means any sugar, such as sucrose, maltose and lactose, consisting of two monosaccharides combined together, whereas polysaccharide means a polymer made of many saccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds.