Molecular organization cellulose fibres

A classic example of the creation of macrostructure from molecular organization is cellulose-based fibre materials. Cellulose is the dominant polysaccharide in plant cell walls and is often touted as being the most abundant biopolymer on earth. A basic cellulose unit, known as the elementary fibril, contains thirty-six l,4-(3-D-linked polyanhydroglucopyranose chains (Figure 12.3a), and may eventually be coated with non-cellulosic polysaccharides to form the cell wall microfibril. These microfibrils are then crosslinked by hemicelluloses/pectin matrixes during cell growth. The cellulose molecule is constrained to adopt... 

Cellulose is the most abundant organic substance found in nature. It is a linear polymer of glucose, with 500 - 5000 glucose units linked together to give molecules of molecular weight 100,000 to 1,000,000. It is the principal constituent of cell walls in higher plants. It occurs in almost pure form (98%) in cotton fibres and to a lessor extent in flax (80%), jute (60-70%), wood (40-50%) and cereal straws (30-43%). 

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