Understanding Polysaccharides and Polypeptides: Energy Sources

1. Polysaccharides and Polypeptides

Polysaccharides and Polypeptides are similar in the detail that they are macromolecules joined together to form organic compounds. They both form their bonds through dehydration synthesis. Your body can use both elements for energy, however, polysaccharides are the first choice and polypeptides are more of a stored energy source. Both can be broken down through hydrolysis. They also have a chain like structure. Polysaccharides are carbohydrates, their main function is to give us energy. They are polymers of monosaccharides made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Starch is one form of a polysaccharide, it consists entirely of α- glucose molecules linked in long chains. Plants store glucose in the polysaccharide

Cellulose is different than starch in that it is made up of β-glucose. This is a storage molecule for plants and their seed. Cellulose is the main component in the cell wall of plants. It is not broken down easily by most creatures making it work well as a biological structural material. Some animals like cows and horses are able to break cellulose down because of symbiotic bacteria and protozoa in their digestive tracts.

Polypeptides are made up of long unbranched chains composed of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. The general structure of the amino acid is an amino group and carboxyl group bonded to a central carbon atom with an additional hydrogen and a functional side group indicated by R. Methionine is one of the macromolecules that can form an amino acid. It is often the first amino acid in a chain of amino acids.

2. Carbon

Carbon is a great element for our planet because it have 6 electrons. Two of the electrons are in the inner shell and the other four electrons are in the other shell. This makes carbon very bondable. Because of this carbon has the ability for multiple molecules to share identical molecular formulas but possess different three-dimensional