Definition: A complex sulfated polymer of galactose units, extracted from Gelidium cartilagineum, Gracilaria confervoides, and related red algae. It is used as a gel in the preparation of solid culture media for microorganisms, as a bulk laxative, in making emulsions, and as a supporting medium for immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis.
agaropectin natural component of crude agar; has carbohydrate backbone similar to that of agarose with roughly every tenth residue containig sulfate in O-sulfate linkages
