Chitin

Chitin is a tough structural polysaccharide made mainly of β(1→4)-linked N-acetylglucosamine units. It strengthens arthropod exoskeletons and fungal cell walls.

N-acetylglucosamine: A modified glucose molecule that serves as the principal repeating unit in chitin. Chitin’s chains are built chiefly from this amino sugar.
Hydrogen bond: An attractive interaction involving a hydrogen atom bonded to an electronegative atom and another electronegative atom. Hydrogen bonding between chitin chains helps stabilize ordered fibers.
Wound dressing: A material placed over a wound to protect it and support healing. Chitin-based materials have been studied for wound coverings and tissue repair.
Peptidoglycan: A mesh-like polymer of sugars and peptides that forms the bacterial cell wall. Like chitin, it uses amino sugars to build a protective biological structure.
Polysaccharide: A carbohydrate made of long chains of monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds. Chitin belongs to this broad class of carbohydrate polymers.
Chitin synthase: A membrane-associated enzyme that polymerizes N-acetylglucosamine into chitin chains. This enzyme builds chitin at cellular membranes.
Bioplastic: A plastic made partly or wholly from biological materials or designed to biodegrade. Chitin and its derivatives can serve as feedstocks for biodegradable materials.
Hyaluronic acid: A glycosaminoglycan composed of repeating disaccharides found in connective tissues and other extracellular spaces. It is another abundant amino-sugar-containing polysaccharide, though its role and structure differ.
Glycosidic bond: A covalent bond that joins a sugar’s anomeric carbon to another group, often another sugar. These bonds connect chitin’s repeating sugar units into chains.
Chitin deacetylase: An enzyme that removes acetyl groups from chitin or its precursors. Its action alters chitin’s composition and can help form chitosan.

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