Carbohydrates

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in plants from the photosynthetic cells to other parts of the plant body. Sucrose is composed of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose. In the synthesis of a disaccharide molecule from two monosaccharides, a molecule of water is removed in the process of forming the new bond between the two monosaccharides. This type of chemical reaction, which occurs in the synthesis of most organic polymers from their subunits, is known as condensation. When a disaccharide is split into its monosaccharide units, which happens when it is used as an energy source, the molecule of water is added again. This process is called hydrolysis.
Polysaccharides are made up of monosaccharides linked together in long chains. Some of them are storage forms of sugar. Starch is the principal food storage form in most plants. Starch occurs in two forms, amylose and amylopectin. Both consist of glucose units linked together. Glycogen is the principal storage form for sugar in higher animals. Glycogen has ...

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