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The expansion of maize root‐cap mucilage during hydration. 2. Observations on soil‐grown roots by cryo‐scanning electron microscopy
Author(s) -
McCully M. E.,
Sealey L. J.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1996.tb00503.x
Subject(s) - mucilage , root cap , scanning electron microscope , botany , chemistry , biophysics , biology , materials science , meristem , composite material , shoot
Expansion of root‐cap mucilage during hydration was followed by cryo‐scanning analytical microscopy of soil‐grown roots of diploperennis and Zea mays. Roots examined directly from the soil have no expanded mucilage. Their condensed, unexpanded mucilage is in three domains, periplasmic, intercellular and peripheral to the cap tissue. Carbon concentration is the same in the three domains. During hydration there is no change in carbon concentration as the condensed mucilage moves through these three domains; however there is a sharp drop at the periphery where a gel phase transition occurs. The rate of expansion of the mucilage blob around the root tip is limited by the rate of this gel phase transition.