noun
chitin
KYE-tuhn/ˈkaɪtən/
A tough substance that forms arthropods’ outer shells and fungal cell walls.
The beetle's tough outer covering contains chitin, which helps support its body.
Etymology
French chitine draws on Greek khitōn, a tunic or coat of mail, also used metaphorically for a covering. The name treats the insect’s tough outer material as a protective garment.
In context
one of them is that they're soft think of this guys they'd be a little sausage with a very thin wrapper the thin wrapper is is exoskeleton it's made of chitin
More examples
- Fungal cell walls also contain chitin.
- The laboratory studies the structure of chitin.
- A crab's shell includes chitin reinforced with minerals.
Forms
chitin
Similar words
- keratin
- Keratin is a protein in hair and nails; chitin is a structural carbohydrate.