Definition for View source for N-acetylglucosamine

An aminohexose (2-aminoglucose) modified by N-acetylation (symbolic abbreviation GlcNAc, but also often abbreviated as NAG). Glycosaminoglycans feature repeating modified disaccharide units. These disaccharides typically incorporate N-acetylglucosamine as one of the sugars of the repeat. In some cases, the GlcNAc unit is modified by attachment of a sulfate at O6.

http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/cronk/biochem/images/N-acetylglucosamine.gif

The structural polysaccharide chitin is a homopolymer of GlcNAc residues in β(1→4) linkages.