Cellulose is a _______.

Cellulose is a _______.

• A. Lipid
• B. Nucleic acid
• C. Polysaccharide
• D. Protein

Answer: (C)

Cellulose is a polysaccharide, a long carbohydrate polymer made from many glucose units linked by beta-1,4-glycosidic bonds. Those beta linkages produce straight, unbranched chains that form strong hydrogen-bonded networks, giving plant cell walls their rigidity and structural support. This structural, fibrous nature sets cellulose apart from lipids (fats and oils), nucleic acids (polymers of nucleotides), and proteins (polymers of amino acids). The beta configuration also explains why humans can’t readily digest cellulose, unlike starch, which is made of alpha-linked glucose and serves as an energy storage polysaccharide.

Cellulose is a polysaccharide, a long carbohydrate polymer made from many glucose units linked by beta-1,4-glycosidic bonds. Those beta linkages produce straight, unbranched chains that form strong hydrogen-bonded networks, giving plant cell walls their rigidity and structural support. This structural, fibrous nature sets cellulose apart from lipids (fats and oils), nucleic acids (polymers of nucleotides), and proteins (polymers of amino acids). The beta configuration also explains why humans can’t readily digest cellulose, unlike starch, which is made of alpha-linked glucose and serves as an energy storage polysaccharide.