Cellulose

• 70 chains of β-glucose combine to form a microfibril. Lots of microfibrils are held together to form fibres
• Herbivorous animals whose diet is mainly cellulose have mutualistic bacteria in their guts so that they can digest cellulose
• Cellulose, known as dietary fiber, cannot be digested by humans.
• Cellulose is formed from beta-glucose
• Cellulose has 1-4 carbon brands- straight,unbranched chains
• Cellulose is insoluble
• Because of the molecular structure of beta-glucose, every other glucose molecule must be rotated 180° to allow a 1-4 carbon bond to form
• Microfibrils are very strong & give strength to plant cell walls
• Humans can't digest cellulose so it passes out of the gut into faeces - dietary fibre
• B-glycosidic bonds can't be broken down by amylase- cellulase enzyme is required
• Many cellulose polymer chains (cross-links) are linked together by hydrogen bonds to form cellulose microfibrils