ABSTRACT
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Chitin, occurring as a structural polysaccharide in the outer skeleton of animals belonging to the phylum Arthropoda (animals with an outer skeleton) and a component of the cell walls of certain fungi and algae, is quite abundant. In contrast, chitosans are much less abundant in nature than chitin and have so far been found only in the cell walls of certain fungi. Chitin is the raw material for all commercial production of chitosans, with an estimated annual production of 2000 t.1 Chitin is also used for a substantial production of glucosamine, with an estimated annual production of 4000 t.1
