Cellulose is a major structural polysaccharide found in plant cell walls, providing them with high tensile strength to resist osmotic pressure.
Which option correctly describes how the molecular structure of cellulose relates to this function?
It consists of α\alphaα-glucose monomers joined by 1–41\text{–}41–4 glycosidic bonds, which rotate by 180∘180^\circ180∘ to form straight chains that are bundled into high-strength microfibrils.
Adjacent β\betaβ-glucose monomers are linked by 1–41\text{–}41–4 glycosidic bonds without rotation, causing the chain to fold into a pleated sheet that is stabilized by covalent cross-links.
Alternating β\betaβ-glucose monomers are rotated by 180∘180^\circ180∘ to form straight, unbranched chains, which run parallel to each other and are cross-linked by hydrogen bonds to form high tensile strength microfibrils.
The presence of 1–61\text{–}61–6 glycosidic branch points allows adjacent straight chains of β\betaβ-glucose to form cross-links, preventing the molecule from being hydrolysed by cellulase enzymes.
