cellulose

Examples of cellulose in the following topics:

• Genomics and Biofuels

  • These include Clostridia species for their ability to degrade cellulose, and fungi that express genes associated with the decomposition of the most recalcitrant features of the plant cell wall, lignin, the phenolic "glue" that imbues the plant with structural integrity and pest resistance.
  • The white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium produces unique extracellular oxidative enzymes that effectively degrade lignin by gaining access through the protective matrix surrounding the cellulose microfibrils of plant cell walls.
  • Pathway engineering promises to produce a wider variety of organisms able to ferment the full repertoire of sugars derived from cellulose and hemicellulose and tolerate higher ethanol concentrations to optimize fuel yields.
  • For instance, the hindgut contents of nature's own bioreactor, the termite, has yielded more than 500 genes related to the enzymatic deconstruction of cellulose and hemicellulose .
  • The hindgut of the termite has yielded more than 500 genes of microbes related to the enzymatic deconstruction of cellulose.

• Carbohydrate Molecules

  • Starch, glycogen, cellulose, and chitin are primary examples of polysaccharides.
  • Cellulose is the most abundant natural biopolymer.
  • The cell wall of plants is mostly made of cellulose and provides structural support to the cell.
  • Cellulose is made up of glucose monomers that are linked by β 1-4 glycosidic bonds .
  • In cellulose, glucose monomers are linked in unbranched chains by β 1-4 glycosidic linkages.

• Herbivores, Omnivores, and Carnivores

  • Since some parts of plant materials, such as cellulose, are hard to digest, the digestive tract of herbivores is adapted so that food may be digested properly.
  • Many large herbivores have symbiotic bacteria within their guts to assist with the breakdown of cellulose.
  • Some herbivores contain symbiotic bacteria within their intestines to aid with the digestion of the cellulose found in plant cell walls.

• Vertebrate Digestive Systems

  • They have evolved digestive systems that help them process vast amounts of cellulose.
  • These chambers contain many microbes that break down cellulose and ferment ingested food.
  • Digesting plant material is not easy because plant cell walls contain the polymeric sugar molecule cellulose.
  • The digestive enzymes of these animals cannot break down cellulose, but microorganisms present in the digestive system can.
  • The first two stomachs, the rumen and the reticulum, contain prokaryotes and protists that are able to digest cellulose fiber.

• Comparing Plant and Animal Cells

  • While the chief component of prokaryotic cell walls is peptidoglycan, the major organic molecule in the plant cell wall is cellulose , a polysaccharide comprised of glucose units.
  • Cellulose is a long chain of β-glucose molecules connected by a 1-4 linkage.
  • The size of the page makes it impossible to portray an entire cellulose molecule.

• Symbiosis

  • The termite benefits from the ability of bacterial symbionts within the protozoa to digest cellulose.
  • The termite itself cannot do this; without the protozoa, it would not be able to obtain energy from its food (cellulose from the wood it chews and eats).

• Chromalveolata: Alveolates

  • Many dinoflagellates are encased in interlocking plates of cellulose with two perpendicular flagella that fit into the grooves between the cellulose plates .
  • Many are encased in cellulose armor and have two flagella that fit in grooves between the plates.

• Streptophytes and Reproduction of Green Algae

  • Cells in green algae divide along cell plates called phragmoplasts and their cell walls are layered with cellulose in the same manner as the cell walls of embryophytes.

• Ingestion

  • Mastication, or chewing, is an extremely important part of the digestive process, especially for fruits and vegetables, as these have indigestible cellulose coats which must be physically broken down.

• Protists as Primary Producers, Food Sources, and Symbionts

  • Certain anaerobic parabasalid species exist in the digestive tracts of termites and wood-eating cockroaches where they contribute an essential step in the digestion of cellulose ingested by these insects as they bore through wood.