Polysaccharides

This class of polymer, like the polyesters, contain oxygen atoms in the polymer backbone. The polysaccharides are naturally occuring polymers with the monomers joined by acteal links. A hemiacetal group from one monomer condenses with an alcohlol group from another, eliminating water. The polymers forms are often called sugars or carbohydrates. The polymers have a wide variety of biological functions and are derived from simple sugars such as glucose. eg. starch is a polysaccharide of glucose (hemiacetal at C-1 condensing with hydroxyl group at C-4):