Relationships between changes in membrane permeability and the respiration climacteric in pericarp tissue of tomatoes.

Changes in the percent apparent free space (%AFS) in pericarp tissue of tomatoes at successive ripening stages were determined, using the climacteric sequence as a standard. A considerable increase in %AFS occurred in the preclimacteric stage. This initial rise was followed by a decline until shortly after the onset of the climacteric rise, apparently due to a temporary stabilization effect, followed by a final increase in permeability.