leaf(microscope)

Question

I have observed a piece of leaf(pink in colour) under the microscope, the following is what I have see:

圖片參考：http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA00656648/o/7011100601...

The colour of palisade mesophyll cell is like this:

圖片參考：http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA00656648/o/7011100601...

And the "unknown" cells in the red square is about this

圖片參考：http://imgcld.yimg.com/8/n/HA00656648/o/7011100601...

colour.

What I want to ask is :

1) What's the structure in the red square?

2) Is the area between palisade mesophyll cells and "unknown" cells contains air, water or anything else?

(Sorry for ugly drawing.)

THX a lot !~

Update:

Actually, the sample I used is picked from a plant in the little flower bed at roadside.

So, I don't really know what species it is.

The leaf is acicular, similar to ones of cactus (about the shape of this : " ɭ ") , but it is much softer.

Update 2:

And, actually, I am quite sure that all of them are cells, because I see the nucleus and vacuole in each of them. And I didn't stain it, it just added water to moisten it.

Update 3:

In your microphotograph, I see there is a longitudinal section of vascular bundle.

So, I GUESS, would the bulk of cells in the red square be the vascular bundle?

Update 4:

If yes, is it possible that waht I saw from the microscope is the transverse section of the vascular bundle, so that the shape of that bulk of cell I saw is much more regular than the microphotograph in your answer?

Update 5:

And, thx for your commend. =]

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

It appears to me that the packed cells at the bottom half of the red square is a stoma, where air can get in and out of the leaf. It may be a space behind the stoma, that's the upper part of the red square.

I wonder if the pink colour was the original pigment of the leave or if it was a stain. Please tell me the species name where that leaf comes from.

If it is stained red/pink, then it may not be a cell at all. It may be a space but the water(or paraffin for mounting) got faintly stained. See if this is helpful to you.

圖片參考：http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Labs/Cell_Bio...

2011-10-07 18:56:36 補充：

the reddish colour parts sometimes gets across and out of the cell walls. I will take them as artifacts.

2011-10-07 18:58:02 補充：

btw, that's a very good drawing of yours considering you draw it on a computer. cheers!

Source(s): http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Labs/Cell_Bio...