CALCIUM OXALATE IN PLANTS: Formation and Function

Calcium oxalate a highly insoluble crystalline salt of oxalic acid and calcium (CaOx) crystals are distributed among all taxonomic levels of photosynthetic organisms from small algae to angiosperms and giant gymnosperms. Accumulation of crystals by these organisms can be substantial. Major functions of CaOx crystal formation in plants include high-capacity calcium (Ca) regulation and protection against herbivory. Ultrastructural and developmental analyses have demonstrated that this biomineralization process is not a simple random physical-chemical precipitation of endogenously synthesized oxalic acid a strong and the simplest dicarboxylic acid, often thought of as a toxin or end product of metabolism, but…

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  Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences