What is a difference in the structure of proteins and polysaccharides?

Answer 1

Polysaccharides are essentially many carbon sugar "rings" linked together. They are carbohydrates, and our bodies break them down into monosaccharides (single "rings") to gain energy. To provide energy is their main function. In contrast, a peptide bond is formed between two amino acids via dehydration synthesis. Amino acids are the monomers for proteins within the body, who function in part to catalyze reactions and carry out other directions of DNA. Many peptide bonded amino acids = a polypeptide. The most basic difference would be that polypeptides are proteins, where as polysaccharides are carbohydrates.

Answer 2

Polypeptide is referring to a chain of many amino acids which have reacted to form a protein. Polysaccharide is referring to a chain of many sugars which have reacted to form a carbohydrate.

Both words refer to many (because of the poly) and the second part refers to the type of molecule which is a protein or carbohydrate.

Answer 3

A polypeptide is a short protein strand.

A protein can be made up of a single polypeptide chain, or a protein can be made up of many polypeptide chains joined together. The main difference between a polypeptide and a protein is their level of structure. A polypeptide chain has three levels of structure: primary structure, secondary structure, and tertiary structure.

Primary structure is the structure formed when amino acid groups bond together (peptide bonds) to form a polypeptide chain.

Secondary structure is the structure formed when the polypeptide chain begins folding and twisting itself, forming "alpha helices" and "beta-pleated sheets." Hydrogen bonding between individual amino acid groups is what causes the twists and folds.

Tertiary structure is the structure formed when a polypeptide chain begins forming other bonds with itself, such as hydrophobic interactions and disulphide bridges. These bonds further reinforce the polypeptide's structure.

At this point, a polypeptide would be complete. Simple proteins that are only one polypeptide chain would also be complete at this stage. However, more complex proteins have a fourth level of structure known as quaternary structure.

Quaternary structure is the structure formed when many polypeptide chains group together to form a much larger protein. As few as two polypeptide chains may group together, giving the protein quaternary structure.

Answer 4

A polysaccharides is composed of monosaccharides (single sugar units) while a polypeptide is a protein, composed of amino acids.

Answer 5

Polysaccharides are polymers consisting of many nucleotide monomers covalently bonded together whereas polypeptides are similar but consist of many amino acid monomers.