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AOBPreview originally published online on May 21, 2003
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Annals of Botany 92: 73-77, 2003
© 2003 Annals of Botany Company

Fracture of Plant Tissues and Walls as Visualized by Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy

A. M. DONALD1, F. S. BAKER1, A. C. SMITH2 and K. W. WALDRON2

1 Cambridge University, Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK and 2 Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK

* For correspondence. Fax +44 1603 507723, e-mail andrew.smith{at}bbsrc.ac.uk

Received: 9 July 2002; Returned for revision: 1 November 2002; Accepted: 24 March 2003    Published electronically: 21 May 2003

The environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) provides a highly relevant and controllable environment in which to study hydrated systems without the artefacts of other highly prepared specimens. The instrument facilitates control of turgor through hydration using different chamber vapour pressures. Deformation of a simple plant tissue—upper epidermal layers in Allium cepa (onion)—was observed at the scale of the two principal failure mechanisms: cell breakage; and cell separation induced by treatment with a chelating agent. Cell rupture and release of contents occurred at cellular junctions ahead of an imposed growing notch, indicating that disruption of cells occurred remotely from the creation of a new surface. Cells that separated usually maintained their turgor and the separation process took place through progressive failure of middle lamellar material seen as strands between separating cells. These mechanisms were compared with the rupture of excised Chara corallina walls that occurred by formation and breakage of strands between separating wall layers. This study provides in situ visual characterization of wall rupture and cell separation at the microscopic level in hydrated plant material.

Key words: Environmental scanning electron microscope, ESEM, onion, Allium cepa L., alga, Chara corallina, fracture, cell wall, tissue.


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