   #copyright

Plant cell

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General Biology

   Plant cell structure
   Enlarge
   Plant cell structure

   Plant cells are quite different from the cells of the other eukaryotic
   kingdom's organisms. Their distinctive features are:
     * A large central vacuole (enclosed by a membrane, the tonoplast),
       which maintains the cell's turgor and controls movement of
       molecules between the cytosol and sap.
     * A cell wall made up of cellulose and protein, and in many cases
       lignin, and deposited by the protoplast on the outside of the cell
       membrane. This contrasts with the cell walls of fungi, which are
       made of chitin, and prokaryotes, which are made of peptidoglycan.
     * The plasmodesmata, linking pores in the cell wall that allow each
       plant cell to communicate with other adjacent cells. This is
       different from the network of hyphae used by fungi.
     * Plastids, especially chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll, the
       pigment that gives plants their green colour and allows them to
       perform photosynthesis.
     * Plants lack centrioles that are present in animal cells.

   Like other eukaryotic cells, plant cells typically also have a nucleus,
   containing most of the cell's DNA, and mitochondria, the 'power plants'
   of the cell. However, some parts of a living plant's tissue are
   selectively dead so they can serve the plant without consuming vital
   nutrients.

Tissue types

   These three major classes of cells can then differentiate to form the
   tissue structures of roots, stems, and leaves. Plants have these types
   of tissues and they have similar locations within all species of
   plants. However, the amount of these tissues will vary for different
   plant species.

   The three distinct types of plant cells are classified according to the
   structure of their cell walls and features of their protoplast. Plants
   will have a primary cell wall and sometimes a secondary wall as well.
   These two major parts are what determines the function of each
   individual plant cell.
     * Dermal tissue - the outer most covering of a plant.
     * Vascular tissue - Responsible for transport of materials throughout
       the plant
     * Ground tissue - Performs photosynthesis, starch storage and
       structural support. Ground tissues may be composed of one of three
       cell types
          + Parenchyma - Thin primary walls, may not have a secondary
            wall. Can develop into more specialized plant tissues.
          + Collenchyma - Unevenly thickened primary walls, grouped
            together to support growing parts of the plant.
          + Sclerenchyma - Thick secondary walls, used to support
            non-growing parts of the plant.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_cell"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
