What are chitin and cellulose?

see full answer

Your Exam Success, Personally Taken Care Of

1:1 expert mentors customize learning to your strength and weaknesses – so you score higher in school , IIT JEE and NEET entrance exams.

An Intiative by Sri Chaitanya

(Unlock A.I Detailed Solution for FREE)

Best Courses for You

JEE

NEET

Foundation JEE

Foundation NEET

CBSE

Detailed Solution

Chitin and cellulose are natural polysaccharides; cellulose is in plant cell walls, and chitin is in fungal walls and insect shells.

Cellulose: A long chain of glucose units linked by β(1→4) bonds. It makes plant cell walls strong and rigid. Humans cannot digest it, but it adds fiber to diet. Industries use cellulose to make paper, textiles, and bioplastics.
Chitin: A long chain of N-acetylglucosamine units. It forms tough, flexible structures in arthropod exoskeletons and fungal cell walls. It is light yet strong. After processing to chitosan, it is used in wound dressings, water treatment, seed coatings, and food preservation.

Property	Cellulose	Chitin
Monomer	Glucose	N-acetylglucosamine
Source	Plants, algae	Fungi, insects, crustaceans
Role	Plant cell wall strength	Exoskeleton and fungal wall
Human use	Paper, cotton, biofuels	Chitosan films, sutures

Both have hydrogen bonding between chains, which gives high tensile strength. Biodegradability makes them eco-friendly materials. Research explores cellulose nanofibers and chitin nanocrystals for stronger composites and medical uses.

Watch 3-min video & get full concept clarity