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What are polysaccharides? How are they formed, and what process breaks them down?

a) Single sugars; Formed by hydrolysis; Dehydration synthesis
b) Complex sugars; Formed by condensation; Hydrolysis
c) Double sugars; Formed by oxidation; Reductive amination
d) Branched sugars; Formed by phosphorylation; Dehydration synthesis

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates that are formed by linkage of monosaccharides through condensation reactions and broken down by hydrolysis.

Step-by-step explanation:

Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates formed when multiple monosaccharides are linked together by glycosidic bonds through a series of condensation reactions, also known as dehydration synthesis. Starch, a storage form of energy in plants, is one such polysaccharide, made from glucose monomers. This polysaccharide can be straight-chain, like amylose, or branched, like amylopectin. The human digestive system breaks down starches into glucose through a process called hydrolysis, where water is used to cleave the glycosidic bonds.

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