The physical bases for enhancement of growth rates induced by auxin involve changes in cell wall structure. Changes in the chemical composition of the primary walls during maize (Zea mays L. cv WF9 x Bear 38) coleoptile development were examined to provide a framework to study the nature of auxin action. This report documents that the primary walls of maize cells vary markedly depending on developmental state; polymers synthesized and deposited in the primary wall during cell division are substantially different from those formed during cell elongation.The embryonal coleoptile wall is comprised of mostly glucuronoarabinoxylan (GAX), xyloglucan, and polymers enriched in 5-arabinosyl linkages. During development, both GAX and xyloglucan are synthesized, but the 5-arabinosyls are not. Rapid coleoptile elongation is accompanied by synthesis of a mixed-linked glucan that is nearly absent from the embryonal wall. A GAX highly substituted with mostly terminal arabinofuranosyl units is also synthesized during elongation and, based on pulse-chase studies, exhibits turnover possibly to xylans with less substitution via loss of the arabinosyl and glucuronosyl linkages.