Carbohydrates are a major source of energy for the human body. These saccharide structures consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The chains of sugars are connected by glycolytic bonds and can be branched or unbranched. The branching structure of carbohydrates are dependent on the type of bonds attaching the monomers, either alpha (1,4) or alpha (1,6) bonds. The condensation reaction connects two monosaccharides to form a disaccharide. A few examples of disaccharides are maltose, lactose or sucrose. These are saccharides found in the table sugars that are used in cooking and in dairy products. Oligosaccharides, which have 3-10 connected monomers, are usually attached to other proteins in the cell and are important in cell signaling. Additionally, polysaccharides are chains of 20 or more monomers consisting of different types of glyosidic bonds (1,4 or 1,6) within the same chain or branch.
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