Pharmacologic Substance
polysaccharide Audio
pol·y·sac·cha·ride [ pol-ee-sak-uh-rahyd, -rid ]
Subclass of:
Carbohydrates
Etymology:
Greek polys = many + sakcharon = sugar + -ide
Definitions related to polysaccharides:
  • A large carbohydrate molecule. It contains many small sugar molecules that are joined chemically.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Linear or branched chain structure containing many sugar molecules linked by glycosidic bonds.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Long chain polymeric CARBOHYDRATES composed of MONOSACCHARIDES linked by glycosidic bonds.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Polysaccharide, the form in which most natural carbohydrates occur. Polysaccharides may have a molecular structure that is either branched or linear. Linear compounds such as cellulose often pack together to form a rigid structure; branched forms (e.g., gum arabic) generally are soluble in water...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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