hem·i·cel·lu·lose (h m  -sl y -l s, -lz)n. Any of several polysaccharides that are more complex than a sugar and less complex than cellulose and found in plant cell walls. |
hemicellulose
[hem′ēsel′yoo͡lōs]
Etymology: Gk, hemi + L, cellula, little cell
any of a group of polysaccharides that constitute the chief part of the skeletal substances of the cell walls of plants. They resemble cellulose but are soluble and more easily extracted and decomposed. See also dietary fiber.
hemicellulose [hem″e-sel´u-lōs]
a food fiber composed of various sugars, including xylose, glucose, and mannose. Hemicelluloses absorb and retain water in the gut but have little effect on stool size, and are largely digested by gastrointestinal bacteria.
hemicellulose
structural polysaccharide of plants. Consists of β1,4-linked pentose sugars, mainly xylose.
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