Carrageenan is extracted from red seaweeds and constitutes the principal structure of the seaweed. The name is derived from a type of seaweed that is abundant along the Irish coastline near the village of Carragheen. It is located within the cell wall and intracellular matrix of the plant tissue. The carrageenan content of commercially harvested seaweeds is generally between 30% and 80% based on the seaweed dry weight.