chitin

chi·tin  (ktn)

n.

A tough, protective, semitransparent substance, primarily a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, forming the principal component of arthropod exoskeletons and the cell walls of certain fungi.

---

[French chitine : New Latin chitn, mollusk (from Greek khitn, chiton; see chiton) + -ine.]

---

chitin·ous adj.

---

chitin [ˈkaɪtɪn]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biochemistry) a polysaccharide that is the principal component of the exoskeletons of arthropods and of the bodies of fungi

[from French chitine, from Greek khitōn chiton + -in]

chitinous  adj

chitinoid  adj

---

chitin  (ktn)

A tough, semitransparent substance that is the main component of the exoskeletons of arthropods, such as the shells of crustaceans and the outer coverings of insects. Chitin is also found in the cell walls of certain fungi and algae. Chemically, it is a nitrogenous polysaccharide (a carbohydrate).

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

chitin - a tough semitransparent horny substance; the principal component of the exoskeletons of arthropods and the cell walls of certain fungi glucosamine - an amino derivative of glucose that is a component of many polysaccharides polyose, polysaccharide - any of a class of carbohydrates whose molecules contain chains of monosaccharide molecules