532 Produce Degradation: Reaction Pathways and their Prevention
lies the epidermis consisting of cells that may possess thickened outer cell walls.
The skin may also contain other additional cell layers with thickened cell walls.
Cell walls also provide inherent preservation of structure to the plant. Plant cells,
unlike animal cells, which have only a membrane, are also surrounded by rigid cell
walls (Figure 18.2). Cell walls are highly reliant on an adequate water potential or
turgor of the cells. Cell walls are also found on other edible fresh produce (often
thought of as plants), the mushrooms, which are actually fungi.
FIGURE 18.3 (See caption on opposite page)