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AOBPreview published online on May 21, 2003
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mcg115
© 2003 by Annals of Botany Company
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Submitted on July 9, 2002
Revised on November 1, 2002
Accepted on March 24, 2003

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

Affiliation of the authors: 1 Cambridge University, Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK; 2 Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: andrew.smith{at}bbsrc.ac.uk.

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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