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Related Concept Videos

Plant Cell Wall01:07

Plant Cell Wall

Plant cells have a cell wall, a rigid outer covering that protects the cell and provides shape and support. During cell division, a mixture of enzymes, proteins, and glucose molecules is transported via vesicles to the center of the cell. These vesicles continuously fuse and build a cell plate between the dividing cells. As the cell plate matures, new polysaccharides are added to it to form the cell walls of the daughter cells. The predominant polysaccharide in the cell wall is cellulose, made...
Plant Cell Wall02:43

Plant Cell Wall

The plant cell wall gives plant cells shape, support, and protection. As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to the cell type. For example, the parenchyma cells of leaves possess only a thin, primary cell wall.
The Phragmoplast01:59

The Phragmoplast

Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development. In animal cells, the central spindle and its associated proteins form the midbody, a structure that has an essential role in cytokinesis. In plants, the central spindle, along with the microtubules, actin, and other cell components, matures into the phragmoplast, which is necessary for cytokinesis. Unlike the stationary midbody, the phragmoplast expands centrifugally, eventually leading to the formation of the new cell wall.
The...
The Phragmoplast01:59

The Phragmoplast

Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development. In animal cells, the central spindle and its associated proteins form the midbody, a structure that has an essential role in cytokinesis. In plants, the central spindle, along with the microtubules, actin, and other cell components, matures into the phragmoplast, which is necessary for cytokinesis. Unlike the stationary midbody, the phragmoplast expands centrifugally, eventually leading to the formation of the new cell wall.
The...
Animal and Plant Cell Structure01:30

Animal and Plant Cell Structure

Animal and plant cells not only differ in their structure, function, and mode of nutrition but also in how they reproduce, specialize, and organize into complex structures.
Cell Division
Though both plant and animal cells divide by mitosis (for non-gametic cells) and meiosis (for gametic cells), they differ in the specifics of this process. Unlike animal cells, plant cells lack centrosomes — an organelle responsible for organizing the spindle fibers and segregating the chromosomes during cell...
Cell Adhesion in Plants01:14

Cell Adhesion in Plants

Plants have rigid cell walls that are made up of cell wall polysaccharides that mediate cell-cell adhesion. The primary cell walls of plants consist of two independent and interacting polysaccharide networks: a pectin matrix that embeds the second network comprising cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

3-D Time-Lapse Imaging of Cell Wall Dynamics Using Calcofluor in the Moss Physcomitrium patens
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3-D Time-Lapse Imaging of Cell Wall Dynamics Using Calcofluor in the Moss Physcomitrium patens

Published on: February 10, 2023

What can plants do for cell biology?

Magdalena Bezanilla1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. bezanilla@bio.umass.edu

Molecular Biology of the Cell
|August 15, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Plant cells offer unique insights into fundamental cell biology. Despite historical neglect, their genetic tractability and imaging ease make them valuable model systems for addressing key biological questions.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Plant Science
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Cell biology research has historically focused on a narrow range of model organisms.
  • Plant cells, despite their diversity, have been relatively understudied in recent decades.
  • This neglect limits our understanding of fundamental cellular processes across life's diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the significant contributions of plant systems to cell biology.
  • To illustrate the potential of plant model systems for future research.
  • To advocate for increased use of plants in addressing long-standing cell biology questions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature and case studies.
  • Selection of three illustrative examples from plant cell biology.

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A Robotic Platform for High-throughput Protoplast Isolation and Transformation
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A Robotic Platform for High-throughput Protoplast Isolation and Transformation

Published on: September 27, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

3-D Time-Lapse Imaging of Cell Wall Dynamics Using Calcofluor in the Moss Physcomitrium patens
05:14

3-D Time-Lapse Imaging of Cell Wall Dynamics Using Calcofluor in the Moss Physcomitrium patens

Published on: February 10, 2023

A Robotic Platform for High-throughput Protoplast Isolation and Transformation
10:12

A Robotic Platform for High-throughput Protoplast Isolation and Transformation

Published on: September 27, 2016

  • Analysis of the genetic and imaging advantages of plant systems.

    • Main Results:

    • Plants have historically provided crucial insights into cell biology.
    • Specific examples demonstrate the power of plant systems in answering fundamental questions.
    • Multicellular plant models offer unique advantages for genetic manipulation and live imaging.

    Conclusions:

    • Plant cells are powerful and underutilized models for cell biology research.
    • Further investigation into plant systems can resolve long-standing biological questions.
    • Increased focus on plant model systems will enhance our understanding of cellular diversity and function.