Biopolymers, Such As Chitin, Are Natural Polymers Produced By Organisms
Chitin Chitin is a long-chain polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, a glucose amide derivative. Polysaccharide is the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature (after cellulose), with an estimated 1 billion tonnes produced in the biosphere each year. It is a primary component of fungi cell walls, arthropod exoskeletons such as crustaceans and insects, and molluscan radulae, cephalopod beaks, and gladii. At least some fish and lissamphibians synthesise it as well. P olysaccharide has a similar structure to cellulose, forming crystalline nanofibrils or whiskers. It functions similarly to the protein keratin. P olysaccharide has been found to be useful in a variety of medicinal, industrial, and biotechnological applications. Polysaccharide is translucent, pliable, resilient, and quite tough in its natural, unaltered state. However, in most arthropods, it is frequently modified, appearing primarily as a component of composite materials, such as sclerotin, a tanne...