Write short note on cellulose

Cellulose : (1) It is produced by plants.
(2) It is a fibrous polysaccharide having high tensile strength.
(3) It is the main structural polysaccharide of plants.
(4) Different plants and plant products contain different percentage of cellulose in them. Example :
(i) Cotton fibres contain about 90% of cellulose.
(ii) Wood contains about 25 to 50% cellulose and remaining hemicellulose or lignin.
(5) Natural cellulose is used by man in the form of food, shelter, fuel and tools etc.
(6) Cotton, linen, jute etc., are used for making ropes, cloth, etc.
(7) Rayon, the artificial fibre is manufactured from cellulose. For this cellulose is dissolved in alkali and then extruding and coagulating the filaments. Then it is treated with other chemicals which convert it into
(i) Cellulose acetate (used in fabric, plastics and shattered proof glass).
(ii) Cellulose nitrate (used in propellant explo-sives).
(iii) Carboxymethyl cellulose (used in ice-cream, cosmetics, medicines etc.).
(8) Cellulose can be hydrolyzed to soluble sugars
which with the help of microbes gets converted into ethanol, butanol, acetone, methane and some other useful chemicals