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Pectic strands

The cellulose walls of the contiguous parenchyma cells are cemented together with a thin layer of pectin. As the cells expand and differentiate, they become more spherical and the area of cell contact diminishes. Intercellular spaces are created and the pectin is drawn out in the form of gummy strands. These structures are tenuous and break readily during conventional processing for electron microscopy. Only as a result of the development of low-temperature SEM have these structures been fully characterized.