Determination of the Pore Size of Cell Walls of Living Plant Cells

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Abstract
The limiting diameter of pores in the walls of living plant cells through which molecules can freely pass has been determined by a solute exclusion technique to be 35 to 38 angstroms for hair cells of Raphanus sativus roots and fibers of Gossypium hirsutum , 38 to 40 angstroms for cultured cells of Acer pseudoplatanus , and 45 to 52 angstroms for isolated palisade parenchyma cells of the leaves of Xanthium strumarium and Commelina communis . These results indicate that molecules with diameters larger than these pores would be restricted in their ability to penetrate such a cell wall, and that such a wall may represent a more significant barrier to cellular communication than has been previously assumed.