Plant cell wall elasticity : a biophysical analysis based upon polymer elasticity.
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| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1986.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Link to ProQuest copy Link to OAKTrust copy |
| Abstract: | The traditional bulk elastic modulus has been demonstrated to be unsuitable for a biophysical analysis of plant cell wall elasticity. Because cell walls consist of a polymer material, this study presents an alternative method of mechanical analysis using principles of polymer elasticity. A conceptual analysis is made of volume changes that take place during elastic expansion of cell walls, delineating phases in which the cell wall is not under turgor-induced stress, when cell expansion is controlled by the wall matrix and when it is controlled by the restrictive microfibrils imbedded in the wall. The polymer elastic properties of the microfibrils are applied as they regulate the anisotropic expansion characteristics of the cell. From the analysis, a mathematical model was developed that describes many aspects of plant cell elastic expansion as described by data in the literature. These aspects include the elastic properties of the cell wall, the matrix and the microfibrillar network, and the relationship between pressure and volume. As a result of the analysis, parameters describing cell expansion, based originally on the bulk elastic modulus approach, have been redefined and given revised interpretations consistent with the behavior of a polymer material. |
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| Item Description: | Typescript (photocopy). Vita. |
| Physical Description: | ix, 102 leaves : illustrations ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-101). |