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Cell biology
Ergastic Substances
Ergastic substances are nonprotoplasmic cell produced
materials.
They include reserve or waste
materials produced and stored
in a cell.
Ergastic substances include:
Reserve materials
Starch, proteins, lipids.
Waste products
Pigments, tannins,
and crystals.
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Anthocyanin in garlic (Allium) bulb scale cells.
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Ergastic Substances
Storage parenchyma cells can be filled with lipid bodies, protein bodies and
especially amyloplasts containing starch.
Storage parenchyma containing starch
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Amyloplasts in grain endosperm.
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In specialize storage cells like those
in some seeds, protein is stored in
membrane-bound protein bodies
that form from the vacuole.
Protein bodies in legume cotyledon cells.
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The major pigments include chlorophyll (green), carotenoids
(yellow and orange), and flavanoids (anthocyanins – red and blues).
They may occur in chloroplasts, chromoplasts, or in the vacuole.
Anthocyanin pigments in the vacuoles
of a vinca (Catharanthus) petal.
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Carotenoid pigments in
pepper fruit chromoplasts.
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Tannins are a group of polyphenolic substances. They are produced in chloroplast
derived tannosomes. They are often stored in the vacuole, but can occur in the
cytoplasm. Tannins may perform a protective function in plant defense.
Lumen
Tannin
containing cell
Tannins will precipitate protein so they
are often stored in isolated cells.
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Idioblastic cells
filled with tannin
Resin duct
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Ergastic Substances
Crystals are mostly composed of
calcium oxalate, but may also occur
as calcium carbonate crystals.
The different crystal forms include:
Prismatic - Crystals
Globular - Druse
Hanging - Cystolith
Needle-like – Raphides, styloids
Crystals in banana (Musa) hypodermis.
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Ergastic Substances
Prismatic crystals occur in a variety of shapes from
rectangular, pyramidal, or rhomboid.
Abundant crystals in the
papery scale-cover on
garlic (Allium) bulbs.
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Druse are dense, granular crystals with a rounded shape. Two of the most
common types are illustrated below. Druse are aggregates of prismatic crystals.
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Cystoliths are similar to druse crystals but hang from cell wall
outgrowths. Rather than calcium oxalate, cystoliths are made of calcium
carbonate. They occur in only a few families (Moraceae, Acanthaceae, and
Cucurbitaceae) contained in an epidermal cell type called a lithocyst.
Cell wall outgrowth
Lithocyst
Cystolith
Fig (Ficus) leaf
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Ergastic Substances
Raphides are needle-like calciumoxalate crystals that usually occur
in bundles within a cell.
Raphide crystals separated from
bundles to show individual shape.
Raphide crystal
bundles
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Raphide bundles are contained within a
vacuole-derived membrane.
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Styloids are similar to raphides, but occur singly in a cell.
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