Statement I: Cellulose is not digested by human beings

Statement II: Cellulose is a polymer of \(\beta\)-D-glucose

Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I

The correct answer is option2. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct, but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I.

Let us carefully dissect the statements and their relationship to ensure we fully understand why the provided answer is correct.

Statement I: Cellulose is not digested by human beings

The statement is correct. Humans cannot digest cellulose because they lack the enzyme cellulase, which is necessary to break down the β-1,4-glycosidic bonds in cellulose.

Statement II: Cellulose is a polymer of β-D-glucose

The statement is correct. Cellulose is indeed a polymer made up of β-D-glucose units linked by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds.

Analyzing the Relationship:

The reason humans cannot digest cellulose is because of the specific β-1,4-glycosidic linkages in cellulose, which require the enzyme cellulase to be broken down.

While it is true that cellulose is a polymer of β-D-glucose, this fact alone does not fully explain the digestion issue. The crux of the problem is the type of glycosidic linkage (β-1,4) and the lack of cellulase enzyme in humans. In other words, knowing that cellulose is a polymer of β-D-glucose does not inherently explain why humans cannot digest it. The critical information is that these glucose units are linked by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds, which humans cannot break down due to the absence of cellulase.

Conclusion:

Statement I is correct: Humans cannot digest cellulose.

Statement II is correct: Cellulose is a polymer of β-D-glucose.

However, the correct explanation for why humans cannot digest cellulose is the absence of the enzyme cellulase and the specific β-1,4-glycosidic bonds, not merely the fact that cellulose is a polymer of β-D-glucose.

Therefore, the correct conclusion is: Both Statement I and Statement II are correct, but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I.

This means that while both statements are true independently, Statement II does not provide the reason behind the truth of Statement I. The true reason humans cannot digest cellulose is the presence of β-1,4-glycosidic bonds and the lack of cellulase enzyme, not just the fact that cellulose is a polymer of β-D-glucose.