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Plant Biomechanics pp 321–347Cite as

Tensile Testing of Primary Plant Cells and Tissues

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Abstract

The primary cell wall controls plant growth and morphogenesis but also determines the structural resilience of nonwoody plant organs. The predominant mechanical role of the primary cell wall lies in its ability to resist or conform to tensile forces. Assessing the tensile properties of the cell wall, therefore, is fundamental for both biomechanics and mechanobiology. Tensile testing is a classic approach used for the mechanical characterization of materials. Various loading strategies such as monotonic or cyclic loading or creep or relaxation allow for analysis of the material response in terms of elastic, viscoelastic, and failure properties. Here, we discuss tensile testing strategies for plant samples with primary cell walls with the aim to provide a practical guide that highlights challenges and offers solutions for the design, execution, and interpretation of such tests.

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Acknowledgements

Research in the Geitmann lab is funded by Discovery and Accelerator Grants from the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada and by the Canada Research Chair Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de sciences biologiques, Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, H1X 2B2, Canada

    Amir J. Bidhendi & Anja Geitmann

  2. Department of Plant Science, McGill University, Macdonald Campus, 21111 Lakeshore, H9X 3V9, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada

    Anja Geitmann

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  1. Amir J. Bidhendi
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Correspondence to Anja Geitmann .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Macdonald Campus, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada

    Anja Geitmann

  2. CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, SIGMA Clermont, Institut Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Joseph Gril

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Bidhendi, A.J., Geitmann, A. (2018). Tensile Testing of Primary Plant Cells and Tissues. In: Geitmann, A., Gril, J. (eds) Plant Biomechanics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-79099-2_15

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