Cellular and Molecular Biology of Plant Seed Development

Front Cover
Brian A. Larkins, Indra K. Vasil
Springer Science & Business Media, 1997 M09 30 - 650 pages
The beginnings of human civili zation can be traced back to the time , ne- ly 12 ,000 years ago , when th e early humans gradually ch anged from a life of hunting and gathering food , to producing food. This beginning of pri- tive agriculture ensured a dependable supply of food , and fostered the living together of people in groups and the development of s o c i e ty. During th is time, plant s e e ds were recognized a s a valuable s o ur c e of food and nutrition , and began to be used for growing plants for food. Ever s i n c e , plant seeds have played an important role in the development of the human civilization . Even today, s e e ds of a few crop s p e c i e s , s uc h as the cereals and legume s, are the primary s o u r c e of most human food , and the predominant commodity in international agriculture. Owing to their great importance as food for human s and in international trade , seeds have been a favorite object of s t u d y by developmental biologists and physiologi sts , nutritionist s and chem i sts . A wealth of useful information i s available on th e biology of seed s .
 

Contents

Starch Synthesis in the Malze Seed
10
Embryogenesis in Dicotyledonous Plants
31
Differentiation Communication
53
Endosperm Structure and Development
73
Hormonal Regulation of Seed Development
133
The Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Embryo Storage Proteins
183
The Prolamin Storage Proteins of Wheat and its Relatives
243
The Prolamin Proteins of Maize Sorghum and Coix
275
The Protease Inhibitors of Seeds
331
Synthesis and Storage of Fatty Acids
409
Accumulation and Storage of Phosphate and Minerals
441
Genetic Regulation of Carbohydrate and Protein Accumulation
479
Lea Proteins and the Desiccation Tolerance of Seeds
525
Seed Maturation and Control of Dormancy
545
Biotechnological Approaches to Altering Seed Composition
595
Index
635

The Storage Proteins of Rice and
289

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