1996 Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT) Convention
Each glucan chain is represented by a line. Multiple glucan chains associate in a very ordered way to form a crystalline structure known as a MICROFIBRIL. The microfibril is the fundamental structural unit of cellulose which gives it so many useful properties in wood, textiles, and paper. The microfibril shown has all the glucan chains ordered the same way. This is called cellulose I. This allomorph or crystalline form of cellulose is the most common form produced in nature and is a metastable structure. If chain folding occurs, the cellulose I is converted into cellulose II which is known to almost everyone as "rayon" or regenerated cellulose.
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