Electron micrographs of plant fibers

Abstract Cell walls of ramie, cotton, flax, sisal and wood have been examined with the electron microscope. The Waring Blendor splits the fibers succesfully and yields sections exhibiting an unaltered natural texture. In all these fibers, the cellulose consists of completely individualized micro-fibrils having a thickness of from ca 250–400 A. In primary walls the micro-fibrils are intertwined to form a network, while in secondary walls they have a common direction and thus are arranged in a more or less parallel manner. Non-cellulose substances, such as lignin, pectin, wax and hemicellulose, are embedded between such fibrils and can be extracted from the cell walls to leave the fibrils undisturbed. Cellulose and non-cellulose each form an independent system.