Question

Find out how much cellulose is made by all the plants in the biosphere and compare it with how much of paper is manufactured by man and hence what is the consumption of plant material by man annually. What a loss of vegetation!

Answer 1

• Cellulose is the most abundant carbohydrate on Earth. It is a complex polymer. Plants have the highest amount of cellulose. It provides mechanical strength to the cell wall of plant cells.
• Its quantity is very high in the woody parts of plants and in cotton and fibrous plants. Its quantity is about 50% in wood and about 90% in cotton fibre.
• Cellulose is mainly used by humans as fuel and timber, in the form of fibres for making clothes, making artificial fibres, and making paper.
• Nitrocellulose is used as an explosive substance. It is used to make celluloid, a transparent plastic that is used to make toys, combs, etc. Man is the largest consumer of cellulose. Man is harming plants to fulfil his needs.
• As a result, natural forest areas are continuously decreasing. Due to the impact of the ecosystem, many plant species are becoming extinct.