Liberating intracellular matter from biological material

A method of liberating an intracellular resinous material from cells of bulk plant matter, the method comprising:

• subjecting the bulk plant matter to rapid pressure increases and decreases;
• opening walls of the cells with the pressure increases and decreases, thereby liberating the resinous material from the cells and producing a heterogenous mixture comprised of cell wall fragments and the resinous material;
• placing particles of the mixture in a liquid;
• sedimenting particles of the resinous material in the liquid;
• and
• removing the sedimented particles of the resinous material.

A method of reducing the particle size of biological material having cells with cell walls, the method comprising:

• entraining the biological material in a flow of a gas through a housing;
• subjecting the biological material to a plurality of pressure increases and decreases while entrained in the flow within the housing;
• and
• breaking up the biological material with the pressure increases and decreases within the housing, thereby reducing the particle size of the biological material.