How are chitin and cellulose similar?

1 Answer
Manisit Das
Jun 3, 2015

The structure of chitin is similar to the polysaccharide cellulose, only difference between the hydroxyl groups in each repeating unit is substituted by N-acetyl groups.

Cellulose structure
https://myorganicchemistry.wikispaces.com/Cellulose

Chitin structure (-OH functionality replaced by -NHAc)
http://www.swicofil.com/products/055chitosan.html

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