• On the molecular level, cellulose is a linear polymer of anhydro-Dglucose
connected by β-(1→4)-linkages as shown in the following
Figure.
• The degree of polymerization (DP), which is the number of units
(glucose in this case) that make up the polymer, is above 10,000
in unaltered (so-called “native”) wood, but less than 1,000 in
highly bleached kraft pulps.