Plant cells are the eukaryotic structural and functional units of plants, distinguished from animal cells by a rigid cellulose-based cell wall, a large central vacuole that maintains turgor, and, in photosynthetic tissues, chloroplasts that capture light energy. Like other eukaryotic cells they contain a membrane-bo…
Plant cells are the eukaryotic structural and functional units of plants, distinguished from animal cells by a rigid cellulose-based cell wall, a large central vacuole that maintains turgor, and, in photosynthetic tissues, chloroplasts that capture light energy. Like other eukaryotic cells they contain a membrane-bound nucleus housing the genome, together with mitochondria, ribosomes, and an endomembrane system. Plant-cell biology examines how these cells differentiate, communicate, build and remodel their walls, and respond to environmental stress. Research relevant to this topic includes the proteomic and physiological responses of cereal crop cells to drought and salt stress, the assay of polysaccharide transglycosylases that restructure cell-wall polymers, and the formation of proplastids in the apical meristem as cells acquire plastid identity during development. Gene-regulatory studies, including emerging roles of plant circular RNAs and investigations of stress-related proteins, illuminate how cellular function is controlled at the molecular level, while work on plant stem-cell callus culture and precision genetics connects cell behaviour to breeding and biotechnology. Sub-areas include cell-wall biochemistry, plastid and organelle biology, cellular stress physiology, signalling, and totipotency underlying regeneration. As the basic building blocks of plant form and metabolism, plant cells are central to understanding growth, development, productivity, and adaptation.
10 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 10 articles above have been cited 70 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Plant Cells, linking to each citing work.