The Biology and Chemistry of the Cell Walls of Higher Plants, Algae, and Fungi

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the cell walls of higher plants, algae, and fungi. Cell wall development of higher plants can be divided into two parts: one of which is concerned with an account of mitosis and cytokinesis and the establishment of the position and plane of the dividing cell wall between the two daughter nuclei, and the other which will indicate the subsequent enlargement and growth of the wall first in area (the primary cell wall), and then in thickness (the secondary cell wall). The general nutritional supply of materials such as amino acids, sugars, lipids, minerals, and vitamins or particular growth factors such as auxins, kinins, and gibberellins can influence both aspects of growth and cell wall development. The general organization of the algae walls appears to be similar to that of higher plants and consists of an organized microfibrillar system, embedded in a matrix. In the red and brown algae the microfibrils are not normally orientated with respect to the cell wall and thus the whole structure is isotropic; however in some algae the microfibrils are arranged in definite directions either in the complete wall or in layers of the wall. A large number of fungal cell walls are made up of a complex system of microfibrils, embedded in a matrix. Chitin is the characteristic polysaccharide of many fungal cell walls and it seems to be present as the principal constituent of the microfibrils.