chitin
A complex polysaccharide, a polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and in the cell walls of fungi; thought to be responsible for some forms of asthma in humans.
Related words
- chitinize
- chitinless
- pseudochitin
- chitinous
- chitinlike
- lipochitin
- chitinase
- chitinolysis
- chitinization
- chitinaceous
- polychitin
- chitinoid
Word history
From Ancient Greek "χιτών".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “chitin” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.