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. 1972 Jun 1;53(3):695–703. doi: 10.1083/jcb.53.3.695

ELECTRON-OPAQUE FIBRILS AND GRANULES IN AND BETWEEN THE CELL WALLS OF HIGHER PLANTS

Gary G Leppard 1, J Ross Colvin 1
PMCID: PMC2108784  PMID: 4554985

Abstract

The components of higher-plant cell walls which become electron-opaque after staining with ruthenium-osmium were studied by electron microscopy. A fibrillar material which absorbs this stain is a major wall constituent in the root epidermal cells of carrot and morning glory. In both form and size, these fibrils resemble those found on the surface of suspension-cultured cells of the same species Some cells of woody species show an irregular distribution of electron-opaque material in the cell wall matrix and middle lamella. This material, which has an amorphous appearance with many electron stains, is shown by ruthenium-osmium staining to be an aggregate of discrete granules, 150–220 A in diameter. These observations are not consistent with the concept of the cell wall matrix and middle lamella as an amorphous, uniform gel

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Selected References

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  1. Halperin W., Jensen W. A. Ultrastructural changes during growth and embryogenesis in carrot cell cultures. J Ultrastruct Res. 1967 May;18(3):428–443. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(67)80128-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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