Callose
/ˈkæloʊs/noun
A carbohydrate substance found in plant cell walls, especially around sieve plates and wounds.
Did you know?Callose is named from Greek roots meaning “beautiful” or “good,” but in biology it became the name for a plant substance that forms protective, almost ritual-like barriers after damage.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kallos
“beauty; beauty of form”
Late Latin
Latin
callosus
“hard-skinned; calloused”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
callose
“a plant polysaccharide associated with cell walls”
19th Century
English
callose
“a substance in plant tissues, especially one deposited in response to injury”
Modern English
English
callose
“a carbohydrate substance found in plant cell walls, especially around sieve plates and wounds”
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