chitin

chitin
—chitinous, adj. chitinoid, adj.
/kuy"tin/, n. Biochem.
a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, related chemically to cellulose, that forms a semitransparent horny substance and is a principal constituent of the exoskeleton, or outer covering, of insects, crustaceans, and arachnids.
[1830-40; < F chitine < Gk chit(ón) tunic, CHITON + F -ine -IN2]

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White, horny substance found in the external skeleton of crabs, lobsters, and many insects; in internal structures of some other invertebrates; and in some fungi, algae, and yeasts.

It is a polysaccharide, the monomer unit being glucosamine. It is used industrially in purifying wastewater, thickening and stabilizing foods and pharmaceuticals, and sizing and strengthening paper, and as a wound-healing agent, an ion-exchange resin, a membrane for industrial separations, and a binder for dyes, fabrics, and adhesives.

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      white, horny substance found in the outer skeleton of insects, crabs, and lobsters and in the internal structures of other invertebrates. It is a polysaccharide consisting of units of the amino sugar glucosamine. As a by-product of crustacean processing, chitin is used as a flocculating agent for waste water, a wound-healing agent, a thickener and stabilizer for foods and pharmaceuticals, an ion-exchange resin, a membrane for chromatography and electrodialysis, a binder for dyes, fabrics, and adhesives, and a sizing and strengthening agent for paper.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chitin — Chi tin, n. [See {Chiton}.] (Chem.) A white amorphous horny substance forming the harder part of the outer integument of insects, crustacea, and various other invertebrates; entomolin. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • chitin — chitin. См. хитин. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Chitīn — (Chem.), ein von Odier in den harten Theilen der Insecten, bes. den Flügeldecken der Käfer, unterschiedener eigener Stoff, der Hornsubstanz ähnlich, ist in Kali unauflöslich, wird in Schwefelsäure nicht gelb, verliert verkohlt die Form des Organs …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Chitīn — (Entomaderm) C18H30N2O12, die stickstoffhaltige Substanz, welche die häutigen und härtern Teile der Organe von Würmern, Krebsen, Spinnen, Insekten bildet, häufig innig verbunden mit andern Stoffen, z. B. mit kohlensaurem Kalk im Panzer der Krebse …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Chitin — Chitīn, der bei den Gliedertieren die häutigen und härtern Teile bildende Stoff, z.B. in den Krebsschalen, Flügeldecken der Maikäfer etc …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Chitin — Chitin, unverzweigtes kettenförmiges Kohlenhydrat aus der Gruppe der ⇒ Polysaccharide, besteht aus β 1,4 glykosidisch verknüpften N Acetylglucosamin Einheiten, dient als Zellwandsubstanz, v. a. bei Pilzen; ist Hauptbestandteil des Exoskeletts der …   Deutsch wörterbuch der biologie

  • chitin — 1836, from Fr. chitine, from Gk. khiton frock, tunic, of soldiers, coat of mail, used metaphorically for any coat or covering. Probably an Oriental word [Liddell & Scott] …   Etymology dictionary

  • chitin — ► NOUN Biochemistry ▪ a fibrous substance which forms the exoskeleton of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi. DERIVATIVES chitinous adjective. ORIGIN Greek khit n (see CHITON(Cf. ↑C)) …   English terms dictionary

  • chitin — [kī′tin] n. [Fr chitine < Gr chitōn: see CHITON] a tough, horny polysaccharide, (C8H13NO5) n, secreted by the epidermis and forming the main bulk of the outer covering of insects, crustaceans, etc. chitinous [kī′tinəs] adj …   English World dictionary

  • Chitin — Strukturformel Allgemeines Name Chitin CAS Nummer 1398 61 4 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Chitin — Not to be confused with chiton. Structure of the chitin molecule, showing two of the N acetylglucosamine units that repeat to form long chains in β 1,4 linkage. Chitin (C8H13O5N)n ( …   Wikipedia

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