ABSTRACT
Plant cell walls are made up of the world’s most abundant and most durable organic materials. Small wonder that they have been used by man since the dawn of time. Cell wall-derived materials played crucial roles in the cultural evolution of man, and they continue to be integrated yet often unappreciated ingredients of modern everyday life. Examples are wood as an energy source, used as construction material, or made into pulp and paper; cotton, linen, hemp, ramie, and sisal woven into tissues and/or made into strings and ropes; alginic acid and pectins used as gelling materials; and dietary fibers required for healthy nutrition. Cell walls are essential in material sciences as well as in food and feed technology.
