What is in cell wall suspension
A cell wall suspension typically refers to a solution containing the cell walls of plants, bacteria, fungi, or algae, which have been separated from the cells themselves. The composition of a cell wall suspension can vary widely depending on the organism from which the walls were derived.
For example:
1. **Plant Cell Wall Suspension**: This would consist mostly of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, and proteins. Cellulose provides strength and rigidity, hemicellulose acts as a filler between cellulose fibers, and pectins help in cell adhesion.
2. **Bacterial Cell Wall Suspension**: The walls of most bacteria contain peptidoglycan, which is a polymer consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like layer outside the plasma membrane. Some bacteria may also have other components, such as an outer membrane in gram-negative bacteria, teichoic acids in gram-positive bacteria, or additional layers if the bacteria are atypical, like the mycobacteria with mycolic acids in their cell walls.
3. **Fungal Cell Wall Suspension**: Fungal cell walls are typically composed of a mixture of chitin, glucans, and proteins, providing structural support and shape.
4. **Algal Cell Wall Suspension**: Algae can have diverse cell wall compositions, often containing cellulose, various polysaccharides (like alginates in brown algae or sulfated polysaccharides in red algae), glycoproteins, and sometimes even silica.
Depending on the method used to create the suspension, it may contain additional components such as various enzymes that were used to break down the cells and release the walls, remnants of the cytoplasm that were not completely removed, or various buffer solutions used to maintain pH and osmotic balance. Cell wall suspensions are often used in research to study the physical properties of cell walls, to isolate cell wall components for further study, or to test the effects of various enzymes or other treatments on cell wall integrity and function.