1. A group of polysaccharides found in plant cell walls that are less crystalline and more easily hydrolyzed than cellulose; they serve as structural components alongside cellulose and lignin.
Usage: Usually used in plural form; Technical/scientific term; Common in botany, chemistry, and materials science

Examples

• Hemicelluloses make up about 20-30% of the dry mass of plant cell walls.
• The breakdown of hemicelluloses is important in the digestion of plant material by herbivores.
• Researchers are studying hemicelluloses as a potential source of biofuels.
• Wood pulping processes often target the removal of hemicelluloses to isolate cellulose fibers.
• Hemicelluloses are more soluble in alkaline solutions than cellulose is.