Can humans digest cellulose?

No vertebrate can digest cellulose directly. Even though we cannot digest cellulose, we find many uses for it including: Wood for building; paper products; cotton, linen, and rayon for clothes; nitrocellulose for explosives; cellulose acetate for films. read more

humans cannot digest cellulose cellulose Cellulose Cellulose (aka Fiber) can not be digested by humans because, we don't have the bacteria needed to break down cellulose. Sucrose, Maltose, and Fructose are all disaccharides (carbohydrates/sugars) and are all able to be broken down to glucose in the body. read more

No,humans cannot digest cellulose since the enzymes cellulase lacks in human digestive system. But however this cellulase is secreted by few intestinal bacteria of rodents and cow etc and wood fungi which breaks down cellulose to glucose and used as metabolic fuel. read more

Animals like cows and pigs can digest cellulose thanks to symbiotic bacteria in their digestive tracts, but humans can't. It's important in our diets as source of fiber, in that it binds together waste in our digestive tracts. read more

Humans are unable to digest cellulose because the appropriate enzymes to breakdown the beta acetal linkages are lacking. (More on enzyme digestion in a later chapter.) Undigestible cellulose is the fiber which aids in the smooth working of the intestinal tract. read more