What Macromolecule Is Chitin?

Macromolecule chitin is a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide. Additional information: Chitin is related to cellulose but it is different from it by a substitution that occurs on glucose molecules.

Is chitin a carbohydrate?

Chitin is a modified carbohydrate for containing nitrogen. It is made up of a linear polymer of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine monomers (C₈H₁₃O₅N) _n»1. Similar to cellulose, the monomers are linked to each other by β(1→4) glycosidic bond. In cellulose though, the monomers are glucose units.

What category and type of macromolecule is chitin?

Chitin is a modified polysaccharide that contains nitrogen; it is synthesized from units of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (to be precise, 2-(acetylamino)-2-deoxy-D-glucose). These units form covalent β-(1→4)-linkages (like the linkages between glucose units forming cellulose).