Expansion of the human population demands a significant increase in cereal production. The main component of cereal grains is endosperm, a body of starchy endosperm (SE) cells surrounded by aleurone (AL) cells with transfer cells (TC) at the base and embryo surrounding (ESR) cells adjacent to the embryo. The data reviewed here emphasize the modular nature of endosperm by first suggesting that sucrose promotes development of the fertilized triploid endosperm cell. Next, that the basal syncytial endosperm responds to glucose by turning on TC development. The default endosperm cell fate is SE and ESR differentiation is likely activated by signaling from the embryo. Cells on the exterior surface of the endosperm are specified as AL cells.

人口的增长要求谷物产量大幅度增加。谷物的主要成分是胚乳，胚乳是由糊粉（AL）细胞围绕的淀粉状胚乳（SE）细胞的主体，基部有转移细胞（TC），与胚胎相邻的胚胎周围（ESR）细胞。此处回顾的数据通过首先暗示蔗糖促进受精的三倍体胚乳细胞的发育来强调胚乳的模块性质。接下来，基底合胞胚乳通过开启TC发育而对葡萄糖作出反应。默认的胚乳细胞命运是SE，ESR分化很可能通过胚胎发出的信号来激活。胚乳外表面的细胞被指定为AL细胞。