chitin
Crab armor material
Chitin is a tough, flexible substance forming the exoskeletons of insects, crustaceans, and other arthropods.
It also appears in fungal cell walls and fish scales.
Chemically similar to cellulose, chitin provides structural support while remaining lightweight—the material that makes a beetle's shell hard and a shrimp's shell crunchy.
Pincer-bearing shellfish
- lobsterLarge marine shellfish
- shrimpSmall edible crustacean
- prawnEdible marine decapod
- krillSmall marine crustaceans
crawfish · langoustine · barnacle · copepod · amphipod · isopod · decapod · carapace
Dead skin at nail base
- carapaceProtective dorsal exoskeleton
- shellHard outer covering
- moltShed outer covering
- elytraHardened forewings of beetles
scute · integument · arthropod · arachnid · insect · pupa · chrysalis · cocoon
Chained sugar molecule
- glucosamineAmino sugar in cartilage
- polymerLarge repeated-unit molecule
- biodegradableAble to decompose naturally
- biocompatibleAccepted by living tissue
biomaterial · nanofiber · scaffold · renewable · sustainable · biomimicry · bioplastic · molecular
Rigid cellular outer layer
- myceliumFungal filament network
- hyphaeFungal filamentous structures
- mushroomFleshy fungal body
- yeastFermenting fungus
fungi · spore · structural
Protective covering for injuries
- water treatmentCleaning supply for consumption
- filtrationSeparating solids from liquids
- textileMaterial from woven fibers
- packagingProtective product enclosure
biomedical · agricultural · cosmetics · pharmaceutical · antimicrobial · fertilizer · drug delivery
crab
Pincer-bearing shellfish
krill · crawfish · langoustine · barnacle · copepod · amphipod · isopod · decapod · carapace · claw
cuticle
Dead skin at nail base
elytra · scute · integument · arthropod · arachnid · insect · pupa · chrysalis · cocoon · hardened
polysaccharide
Chained sugar molecule
- glucosamineAmino sugar in cartilage
- polymerLarge repeated-unit molecule
- biodegradableAble to decompose naturally
biocompatible · biomaterial · nanofiber · scaffold · renewable · sustainable · biomimicry · bioplastic · molecular · monomer
cell wall
Rigid cellular outer layer
yeast · fungi · spore · structural
wound dressing
Protective covering for injuries
- water treatmentCleaning supply for consumption
- filtrationSeparating solids from liquids
- textileMaterial from woven fibers
packaging · biomedical · agricultural · cosmetics · pharmaceutical · antimicrobial · fertilizer · drug delivery
- Fungal Compoundspsilocybin, lovastatin, penicillin, cephalosporin, ergotamine
- animal productswool, leather, hide, pelt, fur
- fiberdietary fiber, fiber, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, fiber content
- natural materialsstone, wood, clay, bone, leather
- Organic Matterblood, bone, tissue, cells, skin
- Biochemicalsamino acid, amino acids, protein, proteins, DNA