BIOL107 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Lignin, Plant Cell, Cellulose

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Biology (Biological Sciences)
• Course: BIOL107
• Professor: Torah Kachur

Document Summary

Biol 107 - lecture #15 - extracellular structures: plant cell wall i. ii. iii. Function: maintains cell shape and prevents excess uptake of water. Structure: cellulose is the main ingredient: structural polysaccharides, makes the primary cell wall. Other plant cell specific structures: many plants have higher level cell wall, eg. Lignin in woody plants: animal extracellular matrix (ecm) i. ii. Function: maintains cell attachments across long distances, allows communication, maintains tissue integrity, stores growth factors. Fibronectin: linker that connects collagen to integrins, eg. Integrins: transmembrane proteins that allow ecm to connect to cell, eg. Epithelial layers: layer of cells that form between you and the environment, cancer connection. 90% of all cancers form in epithelia: cancer. Mass of cancerous cells: tumors often need to grow above or below the plane of epithelium to form a mass, cancers require loss of connection in ecm.