The plant cell cycle in context

Plants have a distinctive mode of continuous development, involving the repeated initiation and growth of new organs throughout the lifespan of the organism. Their sessile nature means that this growth must be responsive not only to developmental cues but also to changes in the prevailing conditions. Since almost all growth ultimately derives from the process of cell division, the control of the cell cycle is at the heart of understanding patterning, growth, and development in plants. The unique features of plant development are reflected in distinct modes and molecular mechanisms of cell cycle control, using underpinning conserved control modules in distinct ways. The development of our understanding of these distinct aspects of plant cell cycle control is reviewed here