Biologically Active Substance
chitin Audio
chi·tin [ kahy-tin ]
Subclass of:
Polysaccharides; Biopolymers
Definitions related to chitin:
  • A linear polysaccharide of beta-1->4 linked units of ACETYLGLUCOSAMINE. It is the second most abundant biopolymer on earth, found especially in INSECTS and FUNGI. When deacetylated it is called CHITOSAN.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • A type of polysaccharide (sugar molecule) that is made by some plants and animals. The hard outer shell of shrimp, lobsters, and many insects is made of chitin.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Tough, white polysaccharide of acetylglucosamine found in arthropod shells and elsewhere; the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature, after cellulose.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Chitin, 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...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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