What is the definition of a carbohydrate chain?

A carbohydrate chain is a sequence that is made up of short units of organic compounds that are brought together to form long sugar chains. A carbohydrate is a large biological molecule consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.

Carbohydrate chains are also referred to as polysaccharides. Carbohydrate chains are located on a cell membrane, and their main function is to make cell-to-cell recognition possible. When a body rejects a foreign object, an organ transplant or blood transfusion, it is the result of the carbohydrate chain. Carbohydrates are naturally produced by green plants simply by using water and carbon dioxide.