Modifications of the mesoscopic structure of cellulose in paper degradation

Mauro Missori1, Claudia Mondelli, Marco De Spirito

  • 1Istituto Centrale per la Patologia del Libro, Ministero per i Beni e le Attivitá Culturali, via Milano 76, I-00184 Rome, Italy. mauro.missori@beniculturali.it

Physical Review Letters
|February 7, 2007
PubMed

Related Concept Videos

Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides01:15

Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides

Every plant cell has a cell wall that protects the cell, provides structural support, and gives the cell shape. Cellulose, the main structural component of the plant cell wall, makes up over 30% of plant matter. It is the most abundant organic compound on earth.  Cellulose is an unbranched polysaccharide composed of linear chains of glucose molecules linked by β (1→4) glycosidic bonds.
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
Biodeterioration01:28

Biodeterioration

Biodeterioration refers to the unwanted alteration of materials caused by microorganisms—especially fungi—which damage both organic substrates (paper, wood, textiles) and inorganic ones (stone, plaster, glass). Unlike abiotic decay, biodeterioration results from biological activity that produces physical disruption and chemical degradation.Physical deterioration occurs as fungal hyphae penetrate pores, cracks, and surface irregularities. Hyphal turgor pressure, thigmotropic growth along...
Role of Microtubules in Cell Wall Deposition01:02

Role of Microtubules in Cell Wall Deposition

Microtubules are small hollow tubes in eukaryotic cells. The cell wall microtubules are polymerized dimers of two globular proteins, α-tubulin and β-tubulin, two globular proteins. With a diameter of about 25 nm, microtubules are the widest components of the cytoskeleton. They help the cell resist compression and provide a track along which vesicles move through the cell or pull replicated chromosomes to opposite ends of a dividing cell. Microtubules go through quick cycles of disassembly and...