What is Cellulose?
[[File:Cellulose triacetate structure.jpg|thumb|The chemical formula for cellulose|alt=]] '''Cellulose''' is the main chemical that forms the main [[structure]] of [[plants]]. It is the most abundant [[macromolecule]] and the most common [[organic compound]] on [[Earth]]. It is also a kind of fiber. Cellulose is a very complex [[carbohydrate]], consisting of 3,000 or more glucose units. Cellulose was discovered by [[Anselme Payen]] in 1838. He isolated it from plant matter and determined its [[chemical formula]]. == Properties == Cellulose has no taste. It is odorless and hydrophilic,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/183666049|title=Vacuum deposition onto webs, films, and foils|last=Bishop, Charles A.|date=2007|publisher=William Andrew Pub|isbn=978-0-8155-1947-8|location=Norwich, NY|oclc=183666049}}</ref> meaning it attracts water. It is insoluble in [[water]] and most [[organic solvent]]s. It is [[Chirality|chiral]] and is [[Biodegradation|biodegradable]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wyman|first=Charles E.|date=1994|title=Ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass: Technology, economics, and opportunities|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0960852494902143|journal=Bioresource Technology|language=en|volume=50|issue=1|pages=3–15|doi=10.1016/0960-8524(94)90214-3|via=}}</ref> Cellulose is made from a form of [[glucose]] and makes up most of the [[cell wall]] of plant cells. This is what keeps a plant in shape. Humans and other animals cannot [[Digestion|digest]] cellulose but some animals such as [[termite]]s and [[ruminant]]s use bacteria to digest it. It is a [[polysaccharide]], which is repeating units of a monosaccharide joined together by a glycosidic bond by a condensation reaction. It is very tough because when you join beta glucose together, they are opposite ways up. The bonds are straight, forming straight chains. There are hydrogen bonds between the polymers. These fibers are in bundles of about 40, called '''microfibrils'''. Microfibrils are embedded in a hydrated networ