Which term refers to a structural carbohydrate in plant cell walls that gives rigidity?

Which term refers to a structural carbohydrate in plant cell walls that gives rigidity?

• A. Starch
• B. Cellulose
• C. Complex Carbohydrate
• D. Lipid

Answer: (B)

Plant cell walls get their rigidity from cellulose. This long polymer is made of glucose units linked by beta-1,4-glycosidic bonds, producing straight chains that align side by side to form strong microfibrils. Those microfibrils are held together by hydrogen bonds, creating a rigid, supportive framework that helps plants maintain structure. Starch is an energy storage carbohydrate, not a structural one; lipids are not carbohydrates and don’t form the rigid fibers in cell walls; a vague label like complex carbohydrate isn’t specific enough for this role. So the structural carbohydrate that provides rigidity in plant cell walls is cellulose.

Plant cell walls get their rigidity from cellulose. This long polymer is made of glucose units linked by beta-1,4-glycosidic bonds, producing straight chains that align side by side to form strong microfibrils. Those microfibrils are held together by hydrogen bonds, creating a rigid, supportive framework that helps plants maintain structure. Starch is an energy storage carbohydrate, not a structural one; lipids are not carbohydrates and don’t form the rigid fibers in cell walls; a vague label like complex carbohydrate isn’t specific enough for this role. So the structural carbohydrate that provides rigidity in plant cell walls is cellulose.