Chitin

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/chitin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the chemical structure?A linear polymer of N-acetylglucosamine linked by β-(1→4) glycosidic bonds
2. What is the biological occurrence?Primary structural polysaccharide in arthropod exoskeletons and fungal cell walls
3. What is chitin and where can we find it in nature?Chitin is a natural material made of N-acetylglucosamine units. It is found in the shells of bugs, the skeletons of insects, and the walls of mushrooms.
4. Why do bugs have a chitin exoskeleton?The chitin exoskeleton keeps bugs from drying out and gives them a strong, flexible frame to move and fly.

Polysaccharide: A complex carbohydrate made up of many sugar units linked together.
Glycosidic Bond: A type of covalent bond that links monosaccharides to form disaccharides and polysaccharides.
Biomimetic Materials: Materials designed to imitate the structures and functions found in nature.