ABSTRACT
Chambers' Dictionary of Science and Technology [1] defines molecular structure as "The way in which atoms are linked together in a molecule." Structure is fundamental to our understanding of biopolymers. The major biopolymers-nucleic acids, proteins, and polysaccharides-have well-defined structures. In the nucleic acids, the sequence of the nucleotide bases defines the genetic information, and the polymer as a whole adopts the wellknown double helix structure. Proteins can have an almost infinite variety of structures, depending on the functional role of the protein in the living organism. They can be as diverse as keratin (hair and fingernails) and lysozyme (the water-soluble enzyme present as an antiseptic in tears) [2]. Polysaccharide structures are less varied than those of proteins, hence the more limited role of polysaccharides in living systems. Polysaccharides nonetheless can have well-defined structures that vary with the functional role of the polysaccharide in the living organism. These functions are nearly as varied as those of proteins. Polysaccharides can be structural components of the cell walls of plants, or they can be involved in antigen-antibody recognition and hormone receptor interactions, or they may simply act as energy reserves.
