Chitin and chitosan are natural wonders, and can be utilized in areas as divergent as the treatment of industrial waste water and the manufacture of wound dressings. One of the many beauties of chitin and chitosan is their availability.
Chitin is also present in many other living organisms, such as insects and mushrooms.
Because it is present in so many different types of living organisms, chitin is the most plentiful natural polymer next to cellulose. Chitin is insoluble in water. However, chitin can be processed into chitosan, which is soluble in mildly acidic solutions. In solution, chitosan can be used to form strong films, and is an excellent flocculent. Chitosan also chelates metals, and chitosan forms gels with multivalent anions.