Author:
Lichtenegger H. C.,Müller M.,Wimmer R.,Fratzl P.
Abstract
Summary
The major part of the wood cell wall consists of parallel-aligned cellulose fibrils. Locally, pits connecting
adjacent cell walls disturb the fibril arrangement. The local fibril orientation around these
mechanically weak points is crucial for the mechanical stability of the cell. In some softwood
species like spruce, the pit apertures at junctions of tracheids and cross-running ray parenchyma
cells are elongated and slit-like. The pit orientation has often been assumed to directly reflect the
fibril orientation. In this paper we use X-ray microdiffraction to determine the local microfibril angle
(tilt angle versus the cell axis, MFA) in single tracheid walls of Norway spruce in the vicinity of
pit apertures. The results from microdiffraction are compared with the pit orientation observed
under the light microscope.Whereas a good correlation was found in thick-walled latewood cells
from the stem and compression wood, large discrepancies occurred for thin-walled earlywood
cells. A simple mechanical model that could explain the different situation in earlywood and latewood
is presented.
Cited by
21 articles.
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