sporopollenin Biochem.
(-ˈpɒlənɪn)
[a. G. sporopollenin (Zetsche & Vicari 1931, in Helv. Chim. Acta XIV. 64): see sporonin and pollenin.]
An inert substance, consisting largely of polysaccharides, that forms the resistant outer coating of spores and pollen grains.
| 1931 Chem. Abstr. XXV. 2455 The crude sporopollenin, i.e. mixt. of spore and pollen membranes, obtained was purified as previously described. 1966 Jrnl. Chem. Soc.: C 16/2 A major problem in the study of sporopollenins is their degradation by sufficiently mild methods to give relatively large molecular species. 1978 Hoyle & Wickramasinghe Life Cloud x. 91 The first possibility..was that it might be a rather exotic material, sporopollenin. This substance forms a major component of the protective coatings in pollens and spores and is chemically and thermally extremely stable. |