ABSTRACT
Examine a thin section of any higher plant organ with the light microscope, and you will immediately notice two features ( Figure 1.1 A ). First, the plant is built from more than one type of cell, and each type can be identified by its size, its location, and the thickness, organization, and structure of the wall that surrounds it. Second, the different cell types are neatly cemented to their neighbors by their walls (Figure 1.1B) in beautiful and reproducible patterns. The structure and function of cells and the developmental patterns they form are the subject matter of plant anatomy. In this chapter we introduce the role of the cell wall in the development of the various cell types that are used to build higher plants. We discuss how and where new cells and therefore new walls arise, emphasizing the involvement of intracellular structures. We then examine the way in which new walls allow cells to expand and how walls are modified when cells differentiate. Last, we discuss the basic cell types of the plant body and how the structural adaptations of their walls suit their particular function.
