Chitin

A Chitin is a long-chain polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, an amide derivative of glucose.

• See: Keratin, N-Acetylglucosamine, Glucose, Polysaccharide, Cellulose, Cell Wall.

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References

2023

• (Wikipedia, 2023) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitin Retrieved:2023-1-5.
  • Chitin (C₈H₁₃O₅N)_n () is a long-chain polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, an amide derivative of glucose. Chitin is probably the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature (behind only cellulose); an estimated 1 billion tons of chitin are produced each year in the biosphere. It is a primary component of cell walls in fungi (especially basidiomycetes and filamentous fungi), the exoskeletons of arthropods such as crustaceans and insects, the radulae, cephalopod beaks and gladii of molluscs and in some nematodes and diatoms. It is also synthesised by at least some fish and lissamphibians. Commercially, chitin is extracted from the shells of crabs, shrimps, shellfishes and lobsters, which are major by-products of the seafood industry. The structure of chitin is comparable to cellulose, forming crystalline nanofibrils or whiskers. It is functionally comparable to the protein keratin. Chitin has proved useful for several medicinal, industrial and biotechnological purposes.

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