Cellulose

From Anvita Health Wiki

Contents 1 More Specific Terms 2 Uses 3 Epidemiology 4 Function 5 Structure 6 Physiology 7 More General Terms 8 Additional Terms 9 References

More Specific Terms

• carboxymethylcellulose (Celluvisc, Refresh)
• hydroxyethylcellulose
• hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (hypromellose, Isopto Alkaline, GenTeal, Gonak, Goniosol, Teargen II, Visine Tears)

Uses

• used to produce cardboard & paper
• converted into a wide variety of derivative

Epidemiology

• most common organic compound on Earth
• ~ 33 percent of all plant matter is cellulose
• cellulose is mainly obtained from wood pulp & cotton

Function

• structural component of the cell wall of green plants, many forms of algae & other organisms

Structure

• polysaccharide
• linear chain of several hundred to > 10,000 beta(1-4) linked D-glucose units

Physiology

• some animals, particularly ruminants & termites, can digest cellulose with the help of symbiotic micro-organisms that live in their guts
• humans can digest cellulose to some extent; however, it is often referred to as 'dietary fiber' or 'roughage & acts as a hydrophilic bulking agent for feces

More General Terms

• polysaccharide (complex carbohydrate, glycan)
• plant-specific molecule
• dietary fiber
• antidote

Additional Terms

• emulsifier

References

- Wikipedia: Cellulose [1] cellulose (Calcibind)