page_title: Mucilage
hierarchical_section_title: Mucilage
caption_attribution_description: Description: D. anglica with leaf bent around a fly Photo taken by: Noah Elhardt
context_page_description: Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion. The direction of their movement is always opposite to that of the secretion of mucilage. It is a polar glycoprotein and an exopolysaccharide. Mucilage in plants plays a role in the storage of water and food, seed germination, and thickening membranes. Cacti and flax seeds are especially rich sources of mucilage.
context_section_description: Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. These microorganisms include protists which use it for their locomotion. The direction of their movement is always opposite to that of the secretion of mucilage. It is a polar glycoprotein and an exopolysaccharide. Mucilage in plants plays a role in the storage of water and food, seed germination, and thickening membranes. Cacti (and other succulents) and flax seeds are especially rich sources of mucilage.
caption: A sundew with a leaf bent around a fly trapped by mucilage.
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