A complex carbohydrate made of different types of sugar molecules linked together, rather than just one type.
From Greek 'hetero-' (different) + 'poly-' (many) + 'saccharide' (from Greek 'sakcharon', meaning sugar). This biochemistry term emerged in the 20th century.
Cellulose and chitin—the stuff that makes wood and insect shells—are heteropolysaccharides, and they're so strong because different sugar units create a complex lattice structure.
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