Oligosaccharide facts for kids
An oligosaccharide is a polymer of a few different simple sugars. Oligosacchardides are carbohydrates. When they are hydrolized, oligosaccharides give 2 to 9 monosaccharides.
Oligosacharides are formed when 2 to 9 monosaccharide units combine with each other by the loss of water molecules, resulting in the formation of a glycosidic linkage. Conversely hydrolysis of an oligosaccharide in water in the presence of an acid or enzyme yields 2 to 9 monosaccharide units. Oligosaccharides which consist of two monosaccharides units are called as disaccharide. Oligosaccharides containing 3 monosaccharides are called trisaccharides.
Images for kids
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An example of an N-linked oligosaccharide, shown here with GlcNAc. X is any amino acid except proline.
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An example of an O-linked oligosaccharide with β-Galactosyl-(1n3)-α-N-acetylgalactosaminyl-Ser/Thr.
