microfibril

views updated Jun 11 2018

microfibril A more or less crystalline aggregation of cellulose molecules, at least 60 nm long and about 200 nm2 in cross-section, that is found in the cell walls of higher plants.

microfibril

views updated May 21 2018

microfibril A microscopic fibre. Plant cell walls contain microfibrils, about 5 nm in diameter, each consisting of some 50–60 parallel cellulose chains that are associated together to form a rod or a flat ribbon. Cellulose microfibrils are arranged in layers at right angles to each other.

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