BIOMOLECULES AND ENZYMES

Detailed explanation-1: -Hence, the correct answer is ‘Chitin’

Detailed explanation-2: -2.1. Chitin is a white, hard, inelastic, nitrogenous polysaccharide and the second most abundant biopolymer (after cellulose) that is found in the exoskeletons of crabs, prawns, insects, and even in the cell walls of fungi.

Detailed explanation-3: -Chitin is the basic structure and a major constituent of the cell wall of many fungi, insect exoskeletons, and crustacean shells.

Detailed explanation-4: -Carbohydrates are represented mainly by chitin, whose content ranges between 2.7 mg and 49.8 mg per kg of fresh matter. Some species of edible insects contain a reasonable amount of minerals (K, Na, Ca, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn and P) as well as vitamins such as B group vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, K, and C.

Detailed explanation-5: -Chitin is one of the most important biopolymers in nature. It is mainly produced by fungi, arthropods and nematodes. In insects, it functions as scaffold material, supporting the cuticles of the epidermis and trachea as well as the peritrophic matrices lining the gut epithelium.