lignifierade

Lignifierad is a Swedish term meaning lignified. In plant biology, it describes plant tissue that has undergone lignification, the deposition of lignin in the cell walls, especially in secondary walls of sclerenchyma and xylem.

Lignification involves the biosynthesis of lignin through the phenylpropanoid pathway, producing monolignols such as p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl alcohols. These monolignols are transported to the cell wall and polymerize into a three-dimensional network that is integrated with cellulose and hemicellulose. The process is developmentally programmed during secondary cell wall formation and can be influenced by environmental factors. Enzymes and regulatory networks coordinate lignin biosynthesis and deposition.

Lignified tissues are common in vascular and supportive tissues, including tracheary elements, vessel elements, fibers, sclereids, and cork cells of the periderm. Lignifierad cell walls provide mechanical strength, enable efficient long-distance water transport, and contribute to defense by reducing wall digestibility and increasing resistance to pathogens.

Practical implications include the impact of lignin content on the digestibility of forage crops, the ease of pulp and paper production, and the quality of biofuel feedstocks. In wood science, the degree of lignification influences properties such as density, stiffness, and durability.

The term is applicable beyond botany in contexts describing tissues that have undergone lignification. Lignifierad thus denotes tissues that have been strengthened and modified by lignin deposition in their cell walls.