Plant Membranes A Biophysical Approach to Structure, Development and Senescence

This book provides the reader with a multidisciplinary approach to an understanding of the function of various plant membrane categories as influenced on the one hand by their structural components and, on the other, by micro- and macro-environmental conditions. Specific topics discussed under relevant headings include ion channeling, plant hormone receptors and biophysical aspects of trans-membrane water movements. While the text essentially is a biophysical one, drawing on contemporary physical concepts, these are couched in terms -- accompanied by a wealth of detailed diagrams -- which are understandable to the average plant biologist. The material presented is divided into three parts. Part 1 is a comprehensive description of the various plant membrane components -- lipids, proteins, sterols and water; Part 2 deals with both theoretical and applied aspects of plant membrane biophysics; Part 3, basing upon principles outlined in the previous sections describes 'the membrane in action'. The processes in this part include the role of calcium in the membrane, phospholytic and lipolytic enzymes, membrane acclimation to chilling and freezing, tomoplast and plasma membranes of guard cell, and trans-membrane signal transduction in development and senescence.Leshem, Ya'acov Y. is the author of 'Plant Membranes A Biophysical Approach to Structure, Development and Senescence' with ISBN 9780792313533 and ISBN 0792313534.