Every living creature is definitely created according to its own function and use, including plants which are created to support the living needs of other creatures such as humans and animals. Because of this, the body structure of plants is also adjusted in such a way that they can function properly.
Healthy plants definitely need cells that can work well. In plants, cells function to accelerate growth, absorb food, and maximize photosynthesis by fertilization.
Plants also consist of millions of cells. Plant cells have a nucleus, cell membrane, cytoplasm, and mitochondria. Cell membrane, also called plasma membrane. This is a thin membrane that surrounds each living cell and separates the cell from its environment.
According to research, the plant cell membrane is a semipermeable structure that surrounds the cell. Cell membranes have semipermeable properties that can control the movement of different components in and out. Movement in cell membranes is passive cellular energy.
Osmosis allows water to enter and leave cells to maintain balance. With the help of cell membranes, plant cells can also regulate oxygen, sugar, enzymes, proteins, hormones, and much more.
For this reason, as additional insight for all Mudalovers friends in understanding the body structure of plants, in this discussion we have summarized various information related to the function of cell membranes in plants which is good for knowledge about plant anatomy which Mudalovers friends can pay attention to carefully.
For further discussion regarding the function of cell membranes in plants, you can see the following.
Understanding Cell Membranes in Plants
Plant cells are cells that organize the work functions of all plant life functions. The function of plant cells is to initiate initial growth, absorb nutrients and produce fruit. Plant cells have cellulose cell walls.
Cell walls are very thin when cellulose is young, while cell walls become thicker when cellulose is old.
These plant cells make young plants very soft while old plants become very hard. Cells are defined as the smallest units that have thin membranes and contain colloidal solutions in the form of chemical compounds.
Plant cells can also be interpreted as a group of eukaryotic cells that contain DNA material and are enclosed in a membrane.
The cell membrane or plasma membrane is a thin membrane structure that surrounds the cell. Membranes limit the existence of cells. In addition, it maintains a fundamental distinction between the contents of a cell and its environment. However, cell membranes are not just passive insulators.
But filters with options to choose. Choose permeable materials, maintaining the difference in ion levels between the outside and inside of the cell. Materials needed by cells can enter. At the same time, materials, including cellular debris, can pass through the cells.
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Cell Structure in Plants
Before discussing further the function of cell membranes in plants, it would be a good idea for Mudalovers friends to also pay attention to the composition of the cells that form the following cells in plants:
Cells are the smallest units of plants, consisting of several parts that make them up. Quoting from the book Structure, Function and Metabolism of the Plant Body, the structure of plant cells consists of:
1. Cell wall
Like our house, what is called the wall is the outermost part. The same is true of the cell wall, which is the outermost part of the cell.
This cell wall surrounds and limits the cell’s development space. The nature of the cell wall is that its structure is strong and flexible but also has a stiff layer. Cell walls are further divided into several units, namely primary, secondary and central flat walls.
The materials that form cell walls in plants are cellulose, hemicellulose, carbohydrates, pectin and lignin. Cell walls have a special function, namely shaping plant growth and maintaining turgor.
Apart from that, the cell wall functions as a protector for plants, where the exchange of important substances such as proteins and the entry and exit of hormones takes place. Cell walls are also responsible for storing carbohydrates in plants.
2. Cell membrane
The diaphragm or membrane is the outer layer which is useful for enveloping and holding components in the cell. Cell membranes consist of chemical compounds as components and are semipermeable.
Cell membranes are part of the tissue that all living things have, including plants. The plant cell membrane forms the cytoplasm and nucleus which cover the plasma, which is the part that contains many molecules.
The function of the cell membrane is to regulate various types of substances that dissolve and enter and exit the cell, as well as osmosis. Due to its permeability, membranes can regulate which substances enter the cell. The location of the plant cell membrane is in the part that precedes the cell wall.
3. Nucleus or cell nucleus
Plant cells have a nucleus called the nucleus. It is called the cell nucleus because this part is the center of all input that occurs in the cell. The nucleus is the cell’s regulatory center for metabolism, growth, cell division, etc.
This nucleus is also the site of protein synthesis, as well as storage of the chromosomes that make up the genetic material (DNA). The nucleus consists of a membrane, nucleus, nucleoplasm and chromatin or chromosomes.
4. Cytoplasm
Cytoplasm is part of the cell structure in the form of fluid. Cytoplasm is located between the cell nucleus and the cell membrane. Cytoplasm acts as a solvent for chemical substances in cells and is responsible for chemical reactions taking place.
The basic part of the cytoplasm consists of two components, namely the cytosol and other organelles. In the cytoplasm there is at least around 70-90% water, where various important components have dissolved.
Solutes in the plant cytoplasm are lipids, proteins and residues such as CO2 or carbon dioxide. The functions of the cytoplasm are:
- The place where chemical reactions occur
- Storehouse of various important chemicals used in plant cellular metabolism.
- As a solvent for various compounds and proteins in cells
- Interstitial material that enters the nucleus or organelles from outside the cell
5. Ribosomes
Plant cells also consist of parts called ribosomes. What is a ribosome? Ribosomes are the denser part of the cell. Ribosomes are very small and can only be seen with an electron microscope.
Ribosomes become smaller parts of mitochondria and spread into the cytoplasm. Ribosomes attach to the outside of the ER, or endoplasmic reticulum. These ribosomes play an important role in producing proteins in plant cells.
6. Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)
The endoplasmic reticulum or ER is a part of the cell that functions as a transport substance. ER transports all molecules and substances contained in cells. The function of the endoplasmic reticulum is to connect the cell membrane and nucleus.
The ER also provides a conduit to the cytoplasm. Apart from transporting molecules within cells, ER also transports molecules between cells via plasmodesmata. This function also makes the ER a way to transport proteins within the cell.
Plant endoplasmic reticulum is classified into two types, smooth ER and rough ER. The rough ER is characterized by being covered in ribosomes while the smooth ER is not covered in ribosomes. The ER structure is lined with sac-like structures called water reservoirs.
7. Plastids or chloroplasts
In addition, there are so-called plastids in the structure of plant cells. Plastids are organelles that are organic because they can divide, grow or differentiate into different plant forms. The plastids in leaves are green and are called chloroplasts or chlorophyll.
Chloroplasts or chlorophyll are generally known as the green material of leaves. Chlorophyll acts as a site for photosynthesis in plants to produce carbohydrates.
Even though most chloroplasts are green, that doesn’t mean plants don’t have plastids of other colors. There are some plants whose chloroplasts are orange, orange, etc.
There are also chloroplasts that do not have certain color pigments, namely leukoplasts. These leucoplasts are usually found in tree parts other than leaves, such as stems and roots. Plant roots and stems also have parts called amyloplasts. Amyloplasts are cells in plants whose job is to store the results of photosynthesis in the form of flour.
8. Golgi apparatus
The founder of the cell known as the Golgi apparatus was discovered by the Italian histologist and pathologist Camillo Golgi. Golgi bodies can also be called dictyosomes, whose job is to prepare proteins for transport into cells. The Golgi bodies of plant cells are stacked as membrane-lined sacs.
9. Vacuoles
Vacuoles can be said to be the largest part of plant cells. The contents of the vacuole are mostly liquid in which enzymes, lipids, salts, minerals, amino acids, gases and alkaloids are dissolved.
The function of vacuoles in plant cells is to store food reserves such as glucose, starch, essential oils and dyes. Vacuoles are also a place to regulate inflammation, store metabolic waste and secondary metabolites.
10. Mitochondria
Organelles with complex structures that are useful for producing energy in plants are called mitochondria. In other living creatures such as animals and humans, respiration occurs in these mitochondria.
What is meant by respiration? The definition of respiration is the process of breakdown or known as catabolism. The benefit of catabolism in plants is to produce energy to survive.
Mitochondria are surrounded by membranes and have high metabolic activity. The structure of mitochondria can only be seen with an electron microscope.
11. Lysosomes
Like living creatures, plants also have a digestive process that takes place in lysosomes. Since lysosomes are central to the digestive process, they are rich in enzymes. Thanks to enzymes in lysosomes, food particles can be broken down into smaller parts. Is this the only function of lysosomes in plant cells? Apparently not, because lysosomes are also responsible for recycling old and damaged cell components.
Studying plant anatomy takes a long time and requires several references.
Function of Cell Membranes in Plants
According to research, the plant cell membrane is a semipermeable structure that surrounds the cell. Cell membranes have semipermeable properties that can control all the movement of different components in and out.
Movement in cell membranes is passive cellular energy. Osmosis allows water to enter and leave cells to maintain balance. With the help of cell membranes, plant cells can also regulate oxygen, sugar, enzymes, proteins, hormones, and much more. Plant cell membranes are surrounded by rigid cell walls.
The functions of plant cell membranes include:
- Forms cells and protects them from external attacks.
- Forms enzymes that are useful in metabolic reactions.
- Protects parts of the cytoskeleton.
- Molecular transport in cell organelles.
- Spontaneous passive movements of diffusion and osmosis.
- Diffusion is the passive movement that occurs in highly concentrated molecules.
- Then go to low concentration or hypotonic.
At the same time, osmosis is the movement of solvent through a selective membrane in a direction different from the concentration of the solute.
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Types of Cell Membranes in Plants
In contrast to the types and functions of human cell membranes, there are not so many in plants. There are only three types of plant cells that are generally known. The types of plant cells are parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerchyma.
The three are classified based on their cell walls. The following types according to the ESALQ survey include:
1. Parenchyma and collenchyma cells
Parenchyma and collenchyma form basal tissue. Parenchyma cells are found in the bark and mesophyll core of stems, roots and leaves.
The cells are considered mature, i.e. capable of dividing (meristematic). Some of them have secondary cell walls, but most only have primary cell walls.
Parenchyma cells with primary cell walls play a role in wound healing, nutrient storage, photosynthesis, and food/water transportation. This type of cell appears as a vertical thread.
The term parenchymal cell is also used for the function of human cell membranes. In humans, parenchyma is the name of the functional part of an organ. Like parenchyma cells, collenchyma cells are alive during maturation, so they are meristematic.
Both are elongated cells used for structural support. Collenchyma cells are found in the shoots and leaves of plants.
2. Sclerenchyma cells
The final type of plant cell membrane is called sclerenchyma. Sclerenchyma cells are used as structural support and have a very rigid structure. In contrast to the two previous cell types, sclerenchyma is not alive at maturity. There are two types of sclerenchyma cells, namely sclereids and fibers. If you have ever eaten a pear, you will be familiar with sclera cells. Sclereid cells, or stone cells, resemble pears.
These cells are also found in many apple and cherry core cells. The composition is very thick due to the presence of lignin. Except that they also contain fiber. Fiber is found in the xylem and phloem of plants. Xylem and phloem are part of the photosynthesis process in plants, you know, Mudalovers friends. The xylem itself transports water and the phloem acts as a transporter of sugar throughout the plant.
So, that’s how cell membranes work in plants and their types, Mudalovers friends. Hope that helps.
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Conclusion
That’s a brief discussion regarding the definition of cell membranes in plants. This discussion not only discusses the definition of cell membranes in plants, but also discusses the general definition of cells in plants, then further discusses the functions and types of cell membranes in plants which Mudalovers friends can pay close attention to.
Understanding the meaning of cell membranes in plants gives us additional knowledge about the various structures that make up a living creature, especially in this discussion, plants are known to have many benefits in life. Each cell in a plant also has its own function which is useful in regulating the balance of functions of each part of the plant.
This is a review of the function of cell membranes in plants. For Mudalovers who want to learn everything about the function of cell membranes in plants. And other sciences related to botany, you can visit Mudabicara.com to get related articles.
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