UNIT - 9

CELL CONSTITUENTS
 PLANT CELL

Cell wall
Living Inclusions Protoplasm
1) Cellulose
2) Lignin
3) Suberin
Reserved food Excretory Secretary
4) Cutin
1) Starch product product
5) Chitin
6) Mucilage 2) Protein 1)Enzyme
7) Pectin 3) Fixed oil 2)Colouring
agent
3)Nector

Alkaloids Mineral crystals like

Latex
Glycosides 1)calcium oxalate
Tannins Volatile oil
2)calcium carbonate
Resins 3)Silica
 1.CELLULOSE
„ Chemically carbohydrate in nature
„ It is a fibrous material of cell wall and together with
lignin is responsible for structural rigidity of plants

Test reagents Observation

1. Iodine solution Pale yellow colour
2. Iodine solution + H2O2 Bright blue
or ZnCl2
3. Chlor zinc iodine Blue or Purple
solution
4. Cuoxan solution Swells and dissolves
(Schwetzer reagent)

Violet
5. Delafields haemotoxilin
 2.LIGNIN
„ A complex Phenyl propanoid polymer
„ Hard , permeable through water, lignified tissue
provide mechanical rigidity of plants
Test reagents Observation
1. Iodine solution Deep blue
2. Iodine solution + Brown
H2O2(60%) or ZnCl2
3. Chlor zinc iodine solution Yellow
4. Analine Hydrochloride Bright yellow
5. Phloroglucinol +conc:HCl Red
in ratio 1:1
6. Mount ink +Conc: H2O2 Lignified cells dissolves
and warm
7. Saffranin (1% saffranin in
50% alcohol) Red
 3.SUBERIN
A mixture of oxygenated or condensed product
of fatty acid and suberogenic acid
„ Impervious to water. Checks the evaporation of
water
Test reagents Observation
1. Iodine solution Deep yellow
2. Iodine solution + Deep brown
H2O2(60%) or ZnCl2
3. Chlor zinc iodine Yellowish brown
solution
4. Mount ink dilute Pinkish red
tincture f alkana ( dilute
with 95% alcohol)
Test reagents Observation

5. Treat with Sudan red III Red

mount ink glycerin and
warm silently
6. Conc: H2SO4 Does not dissolves cell wall
7. strong Chlorophyll Deep green
solution
Cell wall soluble in organic
8. Heat gently with solvent
Potassium chloride and
nitric acid
9. Warm with 20% Yellow
Potassium chloride
solution
 4.CUTIN
„ A mixture of oxygenated or condensed product
of cutinogenic acid
„ Waxy, relatively impermeable to water and the
gases checks evaporation of water
Test reagents Observation

1. Treat with Sudan Red

red III mount
ink glycerin and
warm silently
2. Conc: H2SO4
Does not dissolves
cell wall
Test reagents Observation
3.strong Chlorophyll Deep green
solution

4. Heat gently with Cell wall soluble in organic

Potassium chloride and solvent
nitric acid

• Warm with 20% Yellow

Potassium chloride
solution
 5.CHITIN
„ Chemically made n- acetyl 2- glucose amine
units [C6 H13O5N]n
„ Chitin forms major part of cell wall of fungi like
ergot and insects
Test reagents Observation
1. Sudan red III Red
2. Iodine solution + Violet
H2O2(60%) or ZnCl2
3. Chlor zinc iodine Yellowish brown
solution
4. Alcoholic Deep green
Chlorophyll soltn
 6.MUCILAGE
„ Polymer of monosaccharide and many of them
are combined with euronic acid

„ Absorbs water and forms viscous mass after

drying it becomes hard and horny
Test reagents Observation

1. Iodine solution + Violet

H2O2(60%) or ZnCl2

2. Methylene blue Deep blue

3. Ruthenium red solution Pink

4. Corallin soda solution Red

5. Water or aqueous Swells considerably in cold

potassium hydroxide
 7.PECTIN
„ Carbohydrate consist of methoxylated
polygalactonic acid
„ Swells in water and form stiff jellies present
mostly in fruits
Test reagents Observation
Pectin solution 1% + Gelatinous
2% sodium
hydroxide
-heat for 20 minute White colour
with dilute HCl
 8.STARCH
„ Insoluble polysaccharine
TYPES OF STARCH GRAINS
1) Acentric ( simple, compound )

2) Concentric
3)Polygonal
Test reagents Observation
1.Iodine solution Blue

2. 5% sodium hydroxide Swell and ultimately

dissolves
3. Water Insoluble in cold and
gelatinised on heating
 9.RESINS
„ Occurs in granular masses

Test reagents Observation

1.Chloral hydrate Soluble

2.Sudan red III or Red

tincture of alkana
 10.PROTEINS
„ Complex nitrogenous compounds
„ Aleurone grain consist of amorphous mass of
protein enveloped by denser protein membrane
INCLUSIONS
Crystalloids: well formed crystals of protein
Globoids : Sphere crystals consist of Ca, Mg,
organo phosphoric acid
Calcium oxalate: it forms a prism
Test reagents Observation
1.Iodine solution Crystalloids yellowish in
colour
2.Eosin aqueous solution Red coloured crystalloids

3.Alcoholic picric acid Yellow coloured crystalloids

solution

4.Million’s regent, warm Brick red colour

5.pectin+2% caustic soda Aleurone grains dissolves
6. Section+ dilute acetic acid Globoids dissolves
 11.FIXED OILS AND FATS
„ Glyceryl esters of fatty acids
„ Reserve food embedded in seed. Insoluble in
water, soluble in ether, chloroform and benzene
Test reagents Observation
1.Pressed against paper Permanent greasy

2.Sudan red III r tincture Red

of alkana
3.Osmic acid Brown or black

4.Ether,benzene, Soluble
Chloroform
5. 90% alcohol Insoluble except caster
oil
 12.VOLATILE OIL
„ Occurs as droplets in plant cells, soluble in alcohol.
Sparingly in water

Test reagents Observation

1. Sudan red III red Red

tincture of alkana
2.Osmic acid Doesn’t stain

3. 90% alcohol soluble

 13.ALKALOIDS
„ Nitrogenous alkaline substances, having marked
physiological action

Test reagents Observation

1. Iodine Reddish brown

solution precipitate
( with most
alkaloids)
 14.TANNINS
„ Non nitrogenous phenolic compounds of high molecular
weight
Test reagents Observation

1.Dilute FeCl3 Bluish black or

solution green
2. Bramer’s Brown
reagent precipitae
 15.CALCIUM OXALATE
„ Excretory product of plant metabolism

TYPES OF CRYSTAL FORMS

1) Microsphenoidal or sandy eg: Belladoma

2) Single acicular crystals eg: cinnamon, gentain
3) Prisms eg: acacia, senna, cascara, rauwolfia
4) Rosette eg: senna , rhubarb
5) Bundles of acicular crystals eg: squill
6) Raphides
7) Sphaeroraphides eg: datura
Test reagents Observation
Clear section with
Chloralhydrate and treat
with following reagents:- Insoluble
1. Acetic acid
Insoluble
2. Caustic alkalie
soluble
3. Hydrochloric acid

4. Sulphuric acid Soluble, on standing shows

(60%w/w) the needles of Calcium
sulphate
 16.CALCIUM CARBONATE
„ Aggregates of crystals of calcium carbonate called as
“Cystoliths” seen as bunch of grapes

Test reagents Observation

1.Acetic acid or HCl Dissolves with

effervescence
2. Sulphuric acid Shows needle shaped
(60% w/w) Crystals of calcium
sulphates