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How do hemicelluloses help control the expansion of primary cell walls?
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Cell wall
Cutaway drawing of a plant cell, showing the cell wall and internal organelles.
Hemicelluloses play a critical role in regulating the expansion of primary cell walls during plant growth. These matrix polysaccharides function by binding tightly to the surface of cellulose fibrils, effectively coating the microfibrils.1
By coating these fibrils, hemicelluloses prevent them from adhering to one another in an uncontrolled manner. This interaction allows the cell wall to maintain its structural integrity while remaining flexible enough to accommodate growth. Through this mechanism, hemicellulose molecules directly regulate the rate at which the primary cell wall expands.1