It was the botanist Ernst Münch, who separated the plant into two principal compartments, the "dead" apoplast and the living symplast. Only during the last 20 years cell walls attracted the interest of a broader group of plant scientists. We know today that apoplastic functions are much more diverse. The apoplast may be considered as "the internal physiological environment of plant bodies", that essentially maintains homeostasis. The term ‘cell wall’ may be misleading, since the chemical and physical properties of cell walls are not fixed but rapidly respond to environmental stimuli. This is why the term "extracellular matrix" may be more appropriate.
The book summarizes the experimental work conducted during a trans-disciplinary research programme funded for six years by the German Research Foundation. In their contributions, the authors representing outstanding German scientists from such different disciplines as Physics, Biochemistry, Plant Nutrition, Botany, and Molecular Biology not only report original research but also review the state of knowledge in their particular research fields: nutrient acquisition, short and long distance (xylem) transport, tolerance of nutrient deficiencies and mineral toxicities, and the role of micro-organisms colonizing the apoplast.
Introductory remarks are written to each of the chapters by internationally highly recognized scientists in their research areas.