The present work gives the preliminary results of a systematic theoretical investigation of the relationship of structure and dynamics for a series of naturally occurring carbohydrate polymers as a function of the topological features, i.e., sugar composition and linkage type. Specifically, homopolymeric (1-->3)- and (1-->4)-linked alpha-and beta-D-glucans and homopolymeric (1-->4)-linked alpha- and beta-D-galactans are considered. These polysaccharide chains cover a broad spectrum of macromolecular stiffness and extension. The theoretical calculations are developed within a diffusive approach that takes accurately into account the polymer connectivity and the corresponding conformational energy surface. This theoretical approach to the polymer dynamics, designated as the optimized Rouse Zimm local dynamics (ORZLD) theory, has been improved and implemented for applications to random coil polysaccharides in solution. The results show that correlation times, such as those obtainable from appropriate NMR, fluorescence, radiation scattering, ind rheological relaxation experiments, are very sensitive to the details of the molecular structure and reveal patterns that are useful for characterizing the different chain topologies. Correlations are also illustrated among the dynamic chain pattern (i.e., the position and chain length dependence of the correlation times), equilibrium chain stiffness parameters, and the primary structure of the chain.