Crossword clues for chitin
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Chitin \Chi"tin\, n. [See Chiton.] (Chem.) A white amorphous horny substance forming the harder part of the outer integument of insects, crustacea, and various other invertebrates; entomolin.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1836, from French chitine, from Greek khiton "frock, tunic," of soldiers, "coat of mail," used metaphorically for "any coat or covering." "Probably an Oriental word" [Liddell & Scott]. Klein compares Hebrew kuttoneth "coat," Aramaic kittana, Arabic kattan "linen."
Wiktionary
n. (context carbohydrate English) A complex polysaccharide, a polymer of N-acetylglucosamine, found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and in the cell walls of fungi; thought to be responsible for some forms of asthma in humans.
WordNet
n. a tough semitransparent horny substance; the principal component of the exoskeletons of arthropods and the cell walls of certain fungi
Wikipedia
Chitin ( C H O N) is a long-chain polymer of an N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose, and is found in many places throughout the natural world. It is a characteristic component of the cell walls of fungi, the exoskeletons of arthropods such as crustaceans (e.g., crabs, lobsters and shrimps) and insects, the radulae of molluscs, and the beaks and internal shells of cephalopods, including squid and octopuse s and on the scales and other soft tissues of fish and lissamphibians. The structure of chitin is comparable to the polysaccharide cellulose, forming crystalline nanofibrils or whiskers. In terms of function, it may be compared to the protein keratin. Chitin has proved versatile for several medicinal, industrial and biotechnological purposes.
Usage examples of "chitin".
Their thoraces burst soggily as the beam vaporized soft parts within the chitin shell.
He dropped it and stiffened his hands, chopping with the edges, weaving, crouching, splintering red chitin as he dashed insects from the air.
The forest reverberated with the sharp cracks of what sounded like thunder as nearly every piece of the bug's chitin armor shattered upon impact.
But the beast's claws couldn't cut through the nantuko's chitin armor, and the two combatants moved apart and squared off again.
Angling down from its serrated spine, a ferocious array of claspers, pincers, slabbers, clubs, and saws of chitin plate festooned its sides.
Gray qheuens, their broad chitin shells embellished with gemstone cloisonne, sculpted wicked impromptu caricatures of the party guests, using their adroit mouths to carve statuettes of solid stone.
It was a shield-shaped casque of greasy chitin, lobed and crescentiform, rising to either side of the central mouth orifice in twin bosses or stubby horns.
He watches the descent of the billy clubs, the fumbling of the boy who covers his head and his chitin embellishments.
And then Szwart showed him his other hand: a crab claw crusted with chitin, that reshaped itself even as Garvey watched.
Indeed I felt the nails of my fingers involuntarily elongating into chitin knives, and this too was a reaction I could scarce control.
Analysis of the dirt once again showed the lack of certain rare earths, minerals: chitin, Vitamin A and E, most of the rare earths and selenium, although sulphur was present in quantity.
But the Seer Lord's creature was not eighteen feet tall and composed of fused bone, black mummied flesh, knobs of gristly cartilage, and plates of gleaming-blue chitin.
For example, the petrified creatures in the cavern of the Gate were not eighteen feet tall and composed of fused bone, black mummied flesh, knobs of gristly cartilage and plates of gleaming-blue chitin.
The sensor had great platelike eyes, and its furred chitin sprouted long coiled antennae that twitched feebly as the workers bore it along.
Whatever creatures had lived here before had had different requirements for there were significant basic elements lacking in the soil: chitin, selenium, most of the rare earths, and a paucity of calcium, though quantities of that would have been available from sea creatures.