hemicellulose

[ hem-i-sel-yuh-lohs ]

noun

1. any of a group of gummy polysaccharides, intermediate in complexity between sugar and cellulose, that hydrolyze to monosaccharides more readily than cellulose.

hemicellulose

/ ˌhɛmɪˈsɛljʊˌləʊz /

noun

1. any of a group of plant polysaccharides that occur chiefly in the cell wall

Word History and Origins

Origin of hemicellulose¹

First recorded in 1890–95; hemi- + cellulose

Example Sentences

Near the wooden sailing vessels, the scientists found bacteria that degrade cellulose and hemicellulose, some of the primary components of wood.

From New York Times

All woods used for smoking meat—hickory or oak, cherry or apple, grapevine or mesquite—store their delicious potential in the same basic larder of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.

From Scientific American

Wood consists of three main components: cellulose and hemicellulose, which form long strawlike structures, and lignin, which acts as a glue holding the straw strands together.

From Science Magazine

The team then used a hot press, an industrial vise for making wood composites, to compress the remaining cellulose and hemicellulose components together.

From Science Magazine

The researchers used chemicals to break down the wood’s cell walls and remove the polymers, lignin and hemicellulose, that make it rigid and strong.

From Science Magazine