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Chitin (C 8 H 13 O 5 N) n (/ ˈ k aɪ t ɪ n / KY-tin) is a long-chain polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, an amide derivative of glucose. Chitin is the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature (behind only cellulose); an estimated 1 billion tons of chitin are produced each year in the biosphere. [1]
Arthropod cuticle is a biological composite material, consisting of two main portions: fibrous chains of alpha-chitin within a matrix of silk-like and globular proteins, of which the best-known is the rubbery protein called resilin. The relative abundance of these two main components varies from approximately 50/50 to 80/20 chitin protein, with ...
The sea snail Nerita textilis (like all gastropods) deposits a mucus trail as it moves, which a chemoreceptive organ is able to detect and guide the snail back to its home site. [31] It is unclear if chiton homing functions in the same way, but they may leave chemical cues along the rock surface and at the home scar which their olfactory senses ...
In the anatomy of some taxa, such as many Cicadomorpha, the front of the head is fairly clearly distinguished and tends to be broad and sub-vertical; that median area commonly is taken to be the frons. [9] The clypeus is a sclerite between the face and labrum, which is dorsally separated from the frons by the frontoclypeal suture in primitive ...
A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of most animals.There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is a rigid outer shell that holds up an organism's shape; the endoskeleton, a rigid internal frame to which the organs and soft tissues attach; and the hydroskeleton, a flexible internal structure supported by the hydrostatic pressure of body fluids.
However, a growing body of molecular and biological data indicate that at least certain shell features have evolved many times, independently. [38] The nacreous layer of shells is a complex structure, but rather than being difficult to evolve, it has in fact arisen many times convergently. [ 38 ]
English: 1.The transition between glucose and N-Acetylglucosamine 2. The polymerization of N-Acetylglucosamine to chitin 3.The polymerization of glucose to cellulose. Glucose changes depending on what form it takes, glucose is the basis of both chitin and cellulose and the only difference between the two types is what form glucose takes in each pol
Like cellulose, chitin is an abundant biopolymer that is relatively resistant to degradation. [17] Many mammals can digest chitin and the specific chitinase levels in vertebrate species are adapted to their feeding behaviours. [18] Certain fish are able to digest chitin. [19] Chitinases have been isolated from the stomachs of mammals, including ...