Well, because mucins are part of the mucus membrane and the mucus membrane basically acts to lubricate and protect our body from pathogenic agents. What that means is these individual mucins have to be able to carry out that specific function. Now how exactly does it carry out the function of lubrication? Well, basically these red oligosaccharides contain modified sugar molecules that contain negative charges and these negative charges attract water molecules which are polar molecules. And so as a result of those charges we're basically going to have many of these water molecules which are basically going to surround this entire mucin molecule. And as a result that basically gives the addition of these sugar molecules, gives the mucins, these proteins, the ability to actually absorb water.