Biology – Unit 2 Topic 4: Biodiversity and Natural Resources

PLANT CELL

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Students will be assessed on their ability to:
1) Compare the ultrastructure of plant cells (cell wall, chloroplasts, amyloplasts,
vacuole, tonoplast, plasmodesmata, pits and middle lamella) with that of animal
cells
2) Compare the structure and function of the polysaccharides starch and cellulose
including role of hydrogen bonds between β -glucose molecules in the formation of
cellulose microfibrils)
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Chloroplast
- Plastid which contains photosynthetic pigments, found in palisade cells of leaves
- Developed from leucoplast
- Disc-shaped structure range from 4 to 10 υ m in diameter and 2 - 3 υ m thick
- Bound by a double membrane – chloroplast envelope
- Outer membrane is smooth and continuous
- Interior of the chloroplast is a gel-like matrix called stroma
- Within the stroma, system of flattened membranous sacs called
thylakoids are stacked into grana
- Stacks of grana are joined together by the intergranal lamellae
- Both grana and intergranal lamellae contain photosynthetic pigments (e.g. chlorophyll)
which make the chloroplast green – the site of light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis
- Circular DNA and 70S ribosomes are present within stroma – the site for light- independent
reactions
- Function:
- photosynthesis

Amyloplast
- Colourless organelle developed from leucoplast
- Found in areas of a plant that store starch e.g. root tuber
- Function:
- Store amylopectin
- Amylopectin can be converted to glucose which can be used as respiratory substrate to
provide energy

Cellulose Cell Wall

- Found in all plant cell walls
- Non-living, rigid outer casing of cells
- Unbranched polymer of β glucose molecules linked by β (1 – 4) glycosidic bonds
- Each cellulose chain consists of 1000 or more residues – long and straight chain
- The glucose units are spun through 1800 at each successive condensation
Biology – Unit 2 Topic 4: Biodiversity and Natural Resources

- Cross-linking between chains gives structural stability – thus not easily hydrolysed
- hydroxyl groups project outwards from each chain in all directions and form hydrogen
bonds with the adjacent parallel chains
- Great tensile strength – prevent bursting of plant cell
- the chains associate in groups of 10 to 100 000 to form microfibrils
- large intermolecular spaces between microfibrils, and this allows the passage of water and
solute molecules
- The cellulose microfibrils are arranged in spirals around the cell and embedded in matrix of
hemicellulose and short chain carbohydrates e.g. mannose, xylose and arabinose forming a
composite structure
- In primary cell wall, the microfibrils are oriented in similar direction, this makes cell wall
materials strong yet flexible
- In secondary cell wall, successive layers of microfibrils are laid down at different angles to
one another, this makes the cell wall more rigid
- When cell wall is impregnated with suberin or lignin it becomes impermeable
- Long cells with cellulose cell walls which are heavily lignified are called plant fibres
- Middle lamella consists of magnesium and calcium pectates hold neighbouring cells
together
- Strands of cytoplasm called plasmodesmata connecting adjacent cells by allowing
movement of materials from cell to cell
- The result is a pit in the cell wall

Vacuole and Vesicle

- Single membrane bound structure formed by the in-folding and pinching-off of part of the
cell membrane, or by enlargement of a vesicle cut off by the Golgi apparatus
- Membrane surrounding this large vacuole is the tonoplast
- It is filled with cell sap which consists of water and soluble substances
- Cell sap causes water to move into the cell by osmosis and keeps the cells turgid
- Small vacuoles are called vesicles
- Functions:
- maintain the plant cell shape
- storage of various substances including waste products and pigments
- contain hydrolytic enzymes and perform functions similar to lysosome
- support herbaceous plants by contributing to osmotic properties of the cell
Biology – Unit 2 Topic 4: Biodiversity and Natural Resources

Comparison of Structure and Function of the Plant Polysaccharides

Type of Polysaccharide Starch Cellulose

Structural Features - Made up of α -glucose molecules - Made up of β -glucose molecules

- Consist of amylose (unbranched - Consist of unbranched chains only

chain) and amylopectin (branched)

- Chains coiled into helices and fold - Chains are straight

into compact shape

- Chains are not cross-linked into - Parallel chains of polysaccharide

bundles are cross-linked by hydrogen
bonding to form microfibrils

Function - Storage - Structural

- Easily hydrolyse to provide large - Stable and not easily hydrolysed
amount of glucose due to cross-linking
- Glucose can be used in respiration to - High tensile strength to provide
synthesise ATP support and prevent bursting of cell