Introduction to Plant Cell Development

Book excerpt: This textbook is about plant cells and the way in which their behaviour is regulated to suit the function which they fulfil in the plant. The purpose of the book is to emphasise the structural and spatial events which occur during the development of specialised plant cells. It is designed to fill the gap between descriptive anatomy books on the one hand and purely physiological books on the other. Its novelty is in its emphasis on the interaction between the structure of a plant cell and the way in which it performs its role in the plant. It is written in two parts, of four chapters each. The first part concentrates on cells as individuals, and presents a detailed account of their structure in various situations, together with descriptions of how such structures are achieved and function. The second part places these descriptions in the context of tissues, organs and whole plants.