Cellulose is ________ packed in ________.

Cellulose is ________ packed in ________.

• A. Linear, rigid parallel
• B. Branched, loose
• C. Coiled, flexible
• D. Random, viscous

Answer: (A)

Cellulose consists of long, linear polymer chains of glucose linked by beta-1,4 bonds. Because every glucose unit is oriented the same way, the chains run straight rather than curling. This straightness lets many chains align closely and form strong hydrogen bonds between them, creating rigid, crystalline microfibrils. In plant cell walls these microfibrils pack in parallel arrays, giving cellulose its characteristic stiffness and high tensile strength. So the best way to describe it is linear, packed in rigid parallel. If the chains were branched or curled, packing would be less orderly and the material would be less rigid, which is not how cellulose behaves.

Cellulose consists of long, linear polymer chains of glucose linked by beta-1,4 bonds. Because every glucose unit is oriented the same way, the chains run straight rather than curling. This straightness lets many chains align closely and form strong hydrogen bonds between them, creating rigid, crystalline microfibrils. In plant cell walls these microfibrils pack in parallel arrays, giving cellulose its characteristic stiffness and high tensile strength. So the best way to describe it is linear, packed in rigid parallel. If the chains were branched or curled, packing would be less orderly and the material would be less rigid, which is not how cellulose behaves.