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Related Concept Videos

Plasmodesmata02:32

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The organs in a multicellular organism’s body are made up of tissues formed by cells. To work together cohesively, cells must communicate. One way that cells communicate is through direct contact with other cells. The points of contact that connect adjacent cells are called intercellular junctions.
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In a multicellular organism, cells must communicate to work together in a coordinated manner. One way that cells communicate is through direct contact with other cells. The points of contact that connect adjacent cells are called intercellular junctions.
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Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
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Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...
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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.
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Cell division and enlargement are processes that require precise control. The control ensures that cell division cannot proceed unless the cell has grown to a specific size. A spherical, dividing cell requires an approximately 1.6X increase in its surface area to double its volume. The secretory pathway also has a significant role in cell membrane enlargement. Secretory vesicles that bud off from the Golgi apparatus and later fuse with the plasma membrane during exocytosis are a major source of...
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Updated: Nov 23, 2025

Author Spotlight: Microscopic Analysis of Protein Localization at Plasmodesmata in Plants
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Plasmodesmata and the problems with size: Interpreting the confusion.

Winfried S Peters1, Kaare H Jensen2, Howard A Stone3

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA; Department of Biology, Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN, 46805, USA.

Journal of Plant Physiology
|January 3, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Plant cells connect via plasmodesmata, nano-scale channels crucial for symplasmic transport. Methodological limitations in electron microscopy may misrepresent their true size, necessitating new interpretation approaches.

Keywords:
Cell theoryElectron microscopyMicrofluidicsNanofluidicsPlasmodesmaSymplasm

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Area of Science:

  • Plant Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Plant cells are interconnected by cytoplasmic bridges called plasmodesmata.
  • Historically, plasmodesmata encompassed all sizes of cytoplasmic bridges.
  • Modern understanding defines plasmodesmata as nano-scale pores.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To address methodological limitations in studying plasmodesmata size.
  • To reconcile discrepancies between observed pore sizes and known tracer molecule diffusion.
  • To propose a novel framework for interpreting plasmodesmata research.

Main Methods:

  • Review of historical definitions of plasmodesmata.
  • Analysis of limitations in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques.
  • Application of nanofluidic principles to biological transport.

Main Results:

  • Current electron microscopy techniques may underestimate plasmodesmal pore dimensions.
  • Discrepancies exist between observed pore sizes and the diffusion of known tracer molecules.
  • Transport in nano-scale pores follows different physical laws than macroscopic transport.

Conclusions:

  • Plasmodesmata research faces challenges due to methodological limitations.
  • Technomimetic reasoning, applying nanofluidics concepts, can enhance understanding.
  • This approach offers a new perspective for interpreting biological transport through plasmodesmata.