Growth and differentiation-an introduction; Plant morphogenesis; Growth of the root tip; Elongation of the cotton fiber; Anatomical differentiation in shoot and root; Some elementary mathematics of plant growth; Heterosis; Dormancy; Reactions of plants to photoperiod; Vernalization of growing plants; Growth correlation; Bioelectric fields and correlation; Physiology of hormone action; Hormonal control of flower; Structure and synthesis of protoplasm; Cellular differentiation: an experimental approach; Some factors associated with diseased growth; Comparative physiology of heterotrophic growth in plants.

Molecular Cell Biology of the Growth and Differentiation of Plant Cells encompasses cell division, cell enlargement and differentiation; which is the cellular basis of plant growth and development. Understanding these developmental processes is fundamental for improving plant growth and the production of special plant products, as well as contributing to biological understanding. The dynamics of cells and cellular organelles are considered in the context of growth and differentiation, made possible particularly by advances in molecular genetics and the visualization of organelles using molecular probes. There is now a much clearer understanding of these basic plant processes of cell division, cell enlargement and differentiation. Each chapter provides a current and conceptual view in the context of the cell cycle (6 chapters), cell enlargement (5 chapters) or cell differentiation (9 chapters). The book provides state of the art knowledge (and open questions) set out in a framework that provides a long term reference point. The book is targeted at plant cell biologists, molecular biologists, plant physiologists and biochemists, developmental biologists and those interested in plant growth and development. The book is suitable for those already in the field, plant scientists entering the field and graduate students.