Quote:
Originally Posted by FRED HALE SR.
So what exactly happens when this occurs? Would that be similar to a snake shedding its skin? Interesting. Good luck, i'd be climbing the walls for sure.
|
Are you actually curious? I may complain, but this is my field...and once I get started I can't stop.
To answer your question, though...cell walls are made up of cellulose (what paper's made of, mostly), pectin (what jelly/jam is made of), and cross linkers (which is the xyloglucan I was talking about). The cellulose gives the plant cell the ability to withstand water pressure (which helps a plant stay upright) and the pectin gives it flexibility to move around and expand as the cell grows. The cross linkers (xyloglucan) were thought to hold everything in place. This view hasn't changed, but we used to think they were more vital to the wall's integrity than they really are...there have been mutants with no xyloglucan that do just fine. Those same mutants are tiny, though, giving us a hint that they might be more vital in loosening the network and allowing it to expand so the cell can grow.
Something tells me that's a bit more than you wanted, though hahaha. What can I say...plant cells are on my mind...