Three common threads unite IRLA's members, in effect comprising the criteria for membership: our libraries house collections of national or international significance that are capable of supporting sustained research in a variety of interrelated subjects and of attracting scholars from all over the world;
Cellulose is a polymer made up of many glucose molecules. Cellulose is a polysaccharide. A polysaccharide a carbohydrate that can be decomposed by hydrolysis into two or more molecules of monosaccharides. Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction during which molecules of water (H2O) are split into hydrogen cations (H+, conventionally referred to as protons) and hydroxide anions (OHâ) in the process of a chemical mechanism.
Cellulose is an important component of dietary fiber. The other complex carbohydrate made by plants is starch. Starch is a storage form of glucose. Like cellulose, starch is made of glucose subunits, but unlike cellulose, starch can be broken down by enzymes in the human digestive system. Learn more about Botany.