The Plant Cell Wall Methods and Protocols
The cell wall and its constituent polysaccharides and proteins control nearly all plant-based biological and biophysical processes. Understanding the cell wall is, therefore, not only fundamental to the plant sciences but is also pertinent to aspects of h
- PDF / 8,519,964 Bytes
- 319 Pages / 504 x 720 pts Page_size
- 90 Downloads / 286 Views
in
Molecular Biology™
Series Editor John M. Walker School of Life Sciences University of Hertfordshire Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB, UK
For other titles published in this series, go to www.springer.com/series/7651
The Plant Cell Wall Methods and Protocols
Edited by
Zoë A. Popper Botany and Plant Science, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway, Ireland
Editor Zoë A. Popper, Ph.D. Botany and Plant Science School of Natural Sciences National University of Ireland, Galway Galway, Ireland [email protected]
ISSN 1064-3745 e-ISSN 1940-6029 ISBN 978-1-61779-007-2 e-ISBN 978-1-61779-008-9 DOI 10.1007/978-1-61779-008-9 Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Humana Press, c/o Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of going to press, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Printed on acid-free paper Humana Press is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface When they got home to dinner they met the Hemulen on the steps. He was beaming with happiness. “Well?” said Moomintroll. “What is it?” “Nature study!” shouted the Hemulen. “I shall botanize …” Tove Jansson
Plants are essential to life on earth, and, while some readers of this book may not be entirely familiar with the cell wall per se, they will have come across it in many forms. Cellulose, a major plant cell wall polysaccharide, is also the most abundantly occurring natural biopolymer, with many other plant cell wall components being among the next most abundant. Some ways in which people may be familiar with the cell wall and/or cell wall components are as; textiles (many, such as cotton, are cellulose); paper; timber; pectin, which is the gelling agent used in jams and other foods; dietary fiber; and cell wall characteristics and metabolism control, for example, fruit ripening and texture. We are therefore dependent on plant cell walls for health, food, and clothing, and a major current area of research is their use as biofuels. Plant cells are surrounded by a cell wall w
Data Loading...
