Which structural polysaccharide provides rigidity and mechanical strength to plant cell walls, consisting of unbranched β-1,4-glycosidic linkages between D-glucose units?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Cellulose
- Step 1: Differentiate structural and storage polysaccharides.
- Step 2: Cellulose is an unbranched polymer of glucose linked by -1,4-glycosidic bonds that form cross-linked microfibril bundles, conferring high tensile strength to plant cell walls.
Answer
Cellulose.
Why not the others: Starch is plant energy storage (-linkages); glycogen is animal energy storage; chitin forms fungal walls and arthropod exoskeletons with N-acetylglucosamine.
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