What does chitinase degrade?

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Multiple Choice

What does chitinase degrade?

Explanation:
Enzyme specificity for polymer substrates is what this question tests: chitinase acts specifically on the polymer chitin. Chitin is built from repeating units of N-acetylglucosamine linked together by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds. Chitinase hydrolyzes those bonds, breaking chitin down into N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) monomers and short oligomers. That direct chemical transformation is why the degradation product is N-acetylglucosamine. In contrast, other polymers are handled by different enzymes—cellulose is broken down by cellulases into glucose, lipids by lipases into fatty acids and glycerol, and proteins by proteases into amino acids.

Enzyme specificity for polymer substrates is what this question tests: chitinase acts specifically on the polymer chitin. Chitin is built from repeating units of N-acetylglucosamine linked together by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds. Chitinase hydrolyzes those bonds, breaking chitin down into N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) monomers and short oligomers. That direct chemical transformation is why the degradation product is N-acetylglucosamine. In contrast, other polymers are handled by different enzymes—cellulose is broken down by cellulases into glucose, lipids by lipases into fatty acids and glycerol, and proteins by proteases into amino acids.

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