Intercellular separation forces generated by intracellular pressure

Turgor pressure tends to force plant cells towards a spherical form, thus s eparating them at the angles from adjacent cells. In cooked vegetables cont aining starch, the swelling pressure of starch gelatinization generates ana logous cell separation forces. A theoretical analysis of the relationship b etween internal pressure and cell separation forces is presented. Apart fro m the effect of internal pressure, cell separation forces increase with the diameter of the tell and decrease with the number of cell sides. Cell sepa ration forces are reduced by the introduction of intercellular spaces and d ecrease further as these expand. The relationship between intracellular pre ssure and cell separation forces provides a basis upon which the strength o f intercellular adhesion can be measured by experiment.