Question

What is the composition of the cell wall of plants?

Answer 1

Cell wall in plants:

1. The cell wall is the outermost covering of the plant cell.
2. Carbohydrate-rich components make up the majority of the cell wall.
3. Cellulose, pectins, hemicelluloses, proteins, and phenolics are the main components of the cell wall.
4. The cell wall is a biphasic structure made up of moderately hard cellulosic microfibrils embedded in a non-cellulosic matrix that looks like a gel.
5. The matrix is made up of non-cellulosic polysaccharides and other components such as pectins, hemicelluloses, proteins, and phenolics, while the microfibrillar phase is made up of just cellulose.
6. The microfibrillar phase is crystalline, i.e., its molecules are ordered in a specific way and the matrix is non-crystalline, and it is easily visible in an electron microscope.
7. Furthermore, it has a chemical makeup that is more homogeneous than the matrix.