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Lignin - Definition and Overview |
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Lignin is a chemical compound that is an integral part of the cell walls of some cells, eg tracheids, xylary fibres and sclereids of plants.
Lignin is formed by the irreversible removal of water from sugars, creating aromatic compounds through the phenylpropanoid pathway. Lignin polymers are cross-connected structures with a molecular weights on the order of 10,000 amu.
Lignin is the most abundant organic material on earth after cellulose. The strength of wood is a result of lignin, which makes up about one-quarter to one-third of the mass of dry wood. Lignin is removed from wood pulp before it is turned into paper, and the extracted lignin is used as a binder in particleboard, adhesive for linoleum, and raw material for processing into chemicals (such as DMSO and vanillin). The type of lignin (such as lignosulfonates and kraft lignins) used in industry depends upon the method that was used to extract it.
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Example Usage of Lignin |
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ohmgeeseriously: @lfc_lxy RBCs got mitochondria and stuff right? so xylem doesn't have anything except Lignin? thanks you rock |
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gmlu: PUBMED: Aryl-alcohol oxidase involved in Lignin degradation: a mechanistic study based on steady and pre.. http://bit.ly/16uubt |
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gepasi: @phylogenomics I believe that all Lignin is degraded by fungi, that must be a lot of biomass right there... |
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