cellulose

/ˈsɛljəloʊs/

/ˈsɛljələʊs/

Other forms: celluloses

Cellulose is the substance that makes up the cell walls of plants. It's cellulose that makes the leaves of your snake plant stand up straight.

Cellulose gives plants strength and structure, holding up stems and leaves, and even making tree trunks powerful enough to support towering trees. It's the most common macromolecule on earth, even though it’s not found in the human body. We can’t even digest cellulose, though horses and cows can, thanks to bacteria in their digestive tracts that help break down cellulose found in grass and hay.

Definitions of cellulose

1. noun

   a polysaccharide that is the chief constituent of all plant tissues and fibers
   types:

   carboxymethyl cellulose

   an acid derivative of cellulose

   DEAE cellulose, diethylaminoethyl cellulose

   used for chromatography

   pulp

   a mixture of cellulose fibers

   pectin

   any of various water-soluble colloidal carbohydrates that occur in ripe fruit and vegetables; used in making fruit jellies and jams

   bagasse

   the dry dusty pulp that remains after juice is extracted from sugar cane or similar plants

   wood pulp

   wood that has been ground to a pulp; used in making cellulose products (as rayon or paper)

   type of:

   polyose, polysaccharide

   any of a class of carbohydrates whose molecules contain chains of monosaccharide molecules