Ubume be-cellulose buqukethe amatyathanga amade eemolekyuli ze-glucose ezidityaniswe kunye ngeebhondi ze-beta-1,4-glycosidic. La matyathanga acwangciswe ngendlela evumela ukuba zenze izakhiwo ezomeleleyo, ezinentsinga. Ulungelelwaniso olukhethekileyo lwala matyathanga lunika i-cellulose iimpawu zayo eziphawulekayo zomatshini, okwenza kube yinto ephambili ekuboneleleni ngenkxaso yesakhiwo kwizityalo.

Inkqubo ye-cellulose synthesis ngaphakathi kwezityalo ibandakanya i-enzyme cellulose synthase, eyenza iimolekyuli ze-glucose zibe ngamatyathanga amade kwaye zibakhuphele eludongeni lweseli. Le nkqubo yenzeka kwiindidi ezahlukeneyo zeeseli zesityalo, igalelo kumandla kunye nokuqina kwezicubu zezityalo.

Ngenxa yobuninzi bayo kunye neempawu ezizodwa, i-cellulose ifumene izicelo ezininzi ngaphaya kwendima yayo kwibhayoloji yezityalo. Imizi-mveliso isebenzisa i-cellulose ukuvelisa amaphepha, amalaphu (afana nomqhaphu), kunye neendidi ezithile ze-biofuels. Ukongeza, izinto eziphuma kwi-cellulose ezifana ne-cellulose acetate kunye ne-cellulose ethers zisetyenziswa kuluhlu olubanzi lweemveliso, kubandakanya amayeza, izongezo zokutya, kunye neengubo.

Ngelixaiselulosiyona ngokwayo iyipolymer yendalo, abantu baye baphuhlisa iinkqubo zokuyiguqula kwaye bayisebenzise ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo. Umzekelo, unyango lwemichiza lunokutshintsha iipropathi zalo ukuze luzenze zilungele ngakumbi izicelo ezithile. Nangona kunjalo, nakwiifom ezilungisiweyo, i-cellulose igcina imvelaphi yayo yendalo esisiseko, iyenza ibe yinto eguquguqukayo kwaye ixabiseke kwiimeko zombini zendalo kunye nobunjineli.