more important in medicine than a lot of drugs
occur in higher plant tissues in very small amounts
also fungal and bacterial cells (exuded in medium) and animals
formed by a biochemical reaction that makes a water insoluble compound more polar than a water soluble molecule
hence can be removed from an organic system
man forms them in the liver as part of the process of detoxification and they are excreted via urine
mammalian glycosides are simple compounds whereas plant glycosides are much larger and chemically more complex