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When 25 monosaccharides are bonded together to make a polysaccharide, how many water molecules must be removed?

User CronosS
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Final answer:

When 25 monosaccharides are bonded together to form a polysaccharide, 24 water molecules are removed via dehydration reactions that occur as each glycosidic bond is formed.

Step-by-step explanation:

When 25 monosaccharides are bonded together to make a polysaccharide, a dehydration reaction, also known as a condensation reaction, takes place for each bond formed between monosaccharides. In each of these reactions, one water molecule is formed as a byproduct. Therefore, to form the glycosidic bonds necessary to link together 25 monosaccharides, 24 water molecules would be released (since the first monosaccharide does not require a water molecule to be removed for bonding). This is because for each new monosaccharide added, a water molecule is removed.

Thus, for the synthesis of a polysaccharide from monosaccharides, the number of water molecules released is always one less than the number of monosaccharides being linked together.

User Marvin Thobejane
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