cell walls
All Decked Out
A whole microcosm of various bizarrely shaped life forms opens up when you look at diatoms, the primary component of ocean plankton, under a microscope.The…
The defense strategy of plants
If the mechanism that plants use to defend themselves can be understood, it will be possible to produce plants that are resistant to disease. The Plant…
Waxy plant substance key for absorption of water, nutrients
It has long been believed that suberin, a waxy substance between some plant cells, acts as a barrier for the movement of water in a plant's roots.David E….
Breaking the Ties that Bind: New Hope for Biomass Fuels
Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers have discovered a potential chink in the armor of fibers that make the cell walls of certain inedible plant…
Plant Gene Mapping May Lead to Better Biofuel Production
The study, published in the April 2009 issue of Plant Molecular Biology, also lays a foundation for understanding these genes’ evolutionary and structural…
UCR scientists identify stem-cell genes that help form plant organs
Plant stem-cells are master cells located at the tip of the stem and are part of a structure called the shoot apical meristem (SAM). Here, the stem cells—all…