Decomposition of Dead Cells in Plants and Their Role in Self-Organic Nutrition

Abstract

The role of dead cells in plants is a critical area of study, as these cells facilitate the breakdown and absorption of nutrients within plant tissues. This highlights the occurrence of self-organic nutrition during various stages of plant growth, with the process differing based on the plant's age and type. Programmed cell death (PCD) is a fundamental biological mechanism essential for the development, homeostasis, and stress response in all organisms. It is a highly regulated and complex process, and its misregulation can have detrimental effects. While significant progress has been made in understanding cell growth and proliferation, the contribution of PCD to cellular homeostasis in plants has only recently become a focus of research, uncovering considerable knowledge gaps.This review explores the concept of PCD, contrasting developmental PCD (dPCD) with environmental PCD (ePCD) in plant cells. It also emphasizes the importance of recycling processes associated with PCD, both in developmental stages and as a response to environmental stressors.