OLIGOSACCHARIDE


Meaning of OLIGOSACCHARIDE in English

n.

Any carbohydrate with a few (between 3 and about 6 to 10) units of simple sugar s ( monosaccharide s).

A wide variety of oligosaccharides are made by partially breaking down polysaccharide s. Most of the few naturally occurring oligosaccharides are found in plants; those in animals tend to be combined in glycoproteins.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.