2. Cellulose,( C6H10O5) n
It is the most abundant and structural, polysaccharide of plants. It is important food source of some animals It is a polymer of D(+) β-glucose.
The chief sources of cellulose are wood( Contains 50 % cellulose rest being lignin, resins, etc) and cotton( contains 90 % cellulose rest being fats and waxes).
Several materials are obtained from cellulose:
1. Mercerised cotton Cellulose treated with cone. sodium hydroxide solution acquire silky lustre. It is called mercerissd cotton.
2. Gun cotton It is completely nitrated cellulose( cellulose nitrate), highly explosive in nature and is used in the manufacture of smokeless gun powder, called blasting gelatin.
3. Cellulose acetate It is used for making acetate rayon and motion picture films.
4. Cellulosexanthate It is obtained by treating cellulose with sodium hydroxide and carbon disulphide and is the basic material for VISCOSE rayon.
Oligosaccharides and heteropolysaccharides are also called heteropolysaccharides.