Several oligosaccharide fragments derived from plant cell walls activate plant immunity and behave as typical damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).
Most green plants are fully autotrophic organisms and can produce their entire biomass from inorganic molecules with the help of light energy captured by photosynthesis. Energy from photosynthesis is thereby not only needed to reduce CO2 to carbohydrates but also to assimilate nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur from inorganic salts for the biosynthesis of proteins and nucleic acids). In contrast, most non-photosynthetic organisms, including animals and humans, depend on the uptake of organic material both as energy source and as building material.
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