Cellulose
Cellulose Cellulose (Latin cellula, “little cell”), complex carbohydrate, the chief constituent of the cell wall of all plant cells. In plants, cellulose is normally combined with woody, fatty, or gummy substances. With some exceptions among insects, true cellulose is not found in animal tissues. Microorganisms in the digestive tracts of herbivorous animals break down the cellulose into products that can then be absorbed. Cellulose is insoluble in all ordinary solvents and may be readily separated from the other constituents of plants. Depending on its concentration, sulfuric acid acts on cellulose to produce glucose, soluble starch, or amyloid; the last is a form of starch used for the coating of parchment paper. When cellulose is treated with an alkali and then exposed to the fumes of carbon disulfide, the solution yields films and threads. Rayon and cellophane are cellulose regenerated from such solutions. Cellulose acetates are spun into fine filaments for the manufacture of some...