General term for a protein-polysaccharide complex obtained from proteoglycans and containing as much as 95% polysaccharide; mucopolysaccharides include the blood group substances. A more modern term is glycosaminoglycan, as all of the known six classes contain major amounts of d-glucosamine and d-galactosamine.
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n.
one of a group of complex carbohydrates functioning mainly as structural components in connective tissue. Mucopolysaccharide molecules are usually built up of two repeating sugar units, one of which is an amino sugar. An example of a mucopolysaccharide is chondroitin sulphate, occurring in cartilage.
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mu·co·poly·sac·cha·ride (mu″ko-pol″e-sakґə-rīd) 1. glycosaminoglycan. 2. less frequently, any polysaccharide with a high hexosamine content, including the glycosaminoglycans, which are acidic, as well as neutral polysaccharides such as chitin.Medical dictionary. 2011.