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How do pit membranes help protect a treeās water-conducting system?
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wood
Temperate softwoods (left column) and hardwoods (right column), selected to highlight natural variations in colour and figure: (A) Douglas fir, (B) sugar pine, (C) redwood, (D) white oak, (E) American sycamore, and (F) black cherry. Each image shows (from left to right) transverse, radial, and tangential surfaces. Click on an individual image for an enlarged view.
Pit membranes play a critical role in protecting a treeās water-conducting system by acting as a barrier that prevents the passage of damaging air bubbles between tracheids.1
These membranes are thin, modified sections of the primary cell wall located within the pits of water-conducting cells. By filtering the movement of water between cells, they help maintain the integrity of the xylem and prevent the spread of air-filled disruptions that could otherwise compromise the plant's ability to transport water from the roots to the rest of the tree.1