116. Folsom, D. B. and R. M. Brown, Jr.
1987. Changes in cellulose microfibril orientation during differential
growth in oat coleoptiles. IN: Physiology of Cell Expansion
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116. Introduction
Synthesis of new wall elements and their concomitant organization into a functional cell wall are fundamental to plant morphogenesis (33). Especially critical for the wall assembly process is the synthesis of cellulose. Although the "typical" vascular plant cell wall contains many other important biomolecules (e.g., pectins, hemicelluloses, proteins, etc.), it is the cellulose microfibrillar network which constitutes the load-bearing portion of the wall (19, 35, 36). We have examined this microfibrillar network in Avena sariva coleoptiles to determine whether microfibril orientation may perform a role in mediating differential growth of gravistimulated plants.