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A MICROSCOPIC TECHNIQUE TO MEASURE MESOPHYLL SUCCULENCE
Author(s) -
Sundberg Marshall D.,
Zahn Scott G.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1985.tb08430.x
Subject(s) - biology , chloroplast , parenchyma , vacuole , photosynthesis , botany , spongy tissue , chlorophyll , cytoplasm , palisade cell , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene
Mesophyll succulence (S m ), the ratio of water content to chlorophyll content of a cell or tissue, has been proposed as an index of CAM potential. In plant tissues where all cells contain chloroplasts, S m may be measured easily. If water tissue (water‐storing parenchyma lacking chloroplasts) is present, however, severe technical difficulties arise. We have developed a comparable index, morphological mesophyll succulence (S mm ), which allows rapid determination of vacuole to chloroplast volumes in cells. There is a high correlation between the results obtained by these two techniques. Advantages of the microscopic technique include: more rapid determinations, fewer equipment needs, ability to be applied in the field, and no need to physically separate water tissues from photosynthetic tissues.