Intercellular Cohesion and Expansion Growth in Higher Plants

Abstract

FREQUENTLY the growth of plant organs such as the root or coleoptile is considered in terms of the changing number, or size, of the component cells, and the effect of experimental treatments (or environmental changes) on the overall growth is considered in relation to the primary metabolism of the average component cell. Such an approach must fall short of describing in full the growth of the organ if it assumes that tissue behaviour is no more than the summation of the behaviour of individual isolated cells. In a healthy tissue the constituent cells are always firmly attached to each other, and this attachment and any change in it are likely to be of great importance to the growth of the tissue.