• Applied Microscopy
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.83-91
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• 2007

The present study examined the epidermal changes of adhesive disks which occur during attachment in Parthenocissus tricuspidata using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Several adhesive disks, each covered with a bract, develop from the shoot apical meristem during early development. In the initial stage, the adhesive disks are club-shaped and their upper and lower epidermis are indistinguishable. However, in the actively growing stage, they become spherical and both epidermis are clearly differentiated into the adventitious roots. Prior to wall attachment, the adhesive disks exhibit adaxial convex and abaxial concave shapes, and electron-dense substances are abundant in the vacuoles of epidermal cells. The peripheral area of the adhesive disk is adhered first to the wall surface, while the central area is drawn inward in a vacuum-like state during attachment. As the attachment progresses and the electron-dense substances continue to discharge, the upper and lower epidermis rapidly undergo deterioration and the disks shrink considerably. At this stage, structural changes of the lower epidermis occur much faster than in the upper one. The discharged substance is accumulated on the wall surface, and this aids the attachment of adhesive disks on the wall for long periods. In this manner, the shape and structure of the adhesive disk epidermis change drastically from initial growth to the mature stage. Further, the role of electron-dense substance and shrinkage of the disk during attachment has been discussed in Parthenocissus tricuspidata.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 1994

Various plastids in leaf and bracteal tissues of Cannabis sativa L. were examined by electron microscopy. Young chloroplasts without starch grain in mesophyll cells were ellipsoidal, and osmiophilic globules within them were common in stroma. During the plastid differentiation, the mature chloroplasts in mesophyll were changed in shape depending on the numbers and sizes of starch grain in stroma. Electron-dense granular substances were occurred along the outer membrane of chloroplasts in mesophyll. Typical plastids with reticulate body were present in the glandular trichomes. Electron-grey material appeared along the surface of a plastid. A light area in reticulate body is considered to represent junction point of thylakoids.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 1995

The purpose of this study was to investigate the main sensory trigeminal nucleus in the aging rat brain by means of electron microscope. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, two (control group) and thirty six (aging group) months of age, were used. These animals were sacrificed by perfusion fixation with 2.5% glutaraldehyde-2.0% paraformaldehyde (0.1M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4) under sodium pentobarbital. The objective area was punched out with a sharp-edged metal cylinder of 0.8 mm in diameter. These blocks of tissue were then washed in 0.1M phosphate buffer, postfixed in 2% osmium tetroxide, dehydrated in a graded series of ethyl alcohol, and embedded in Epon 812. Thin sections were cut with Super Nova ultramicrotome, pick up on grids and double stained with lead citrate and uranyl acetate, and observed in JEOL 100B electron microscope. The results were as follows: 1. In the control group, the neuronal cell body of the main sensory trigeminal nucleus was filled with nucleus, Golgi complex, Nissl substance, mitochondria, microfilaments and microtubules. However, few Nissl substances are seen in neuronal cell body. Axoaxonic synapse, axodendritic synapse, axosomatic synapse, axospinous synapse, myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers were well organized around cell bodies. Neurons with abnormal changes were not seen. 2. In the aging group, the neuronal cell body of the main sensory trigeminal nucleus contained large number of lipofuscin granules, dense body and swollen mitochondria. Terminal boutons contained glycogen, crystal-like vesicle and membranous indicating first signs of degeneration. The dendrites were found to be in synaptic contact with altered axon terminals. Frequently axons filled with dark axoplasn and splitted myelin sheath were noticed.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.321-332
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• 1997

The dermal papilla is known to playa major role in influencing the form and dynamics of the hair follicle, which probably involves regulatory substances crossing the basal lamina. But little is known about the junctions between the dermal papilla and the surrounding epithelial cells of the hair bulb, or between the connective tissue and the epithelial cells on the outside of the hair follicle. This study was performed to identify the ultrastructural differences between dermoepidermal junction of the skin and connective tissue-epithelial junctions on the outside of the hair follicle and around the dermal papilla of normal anagen hair follicles in the human fetal scalp skin. Electron microscopic findings of dermoepidermal junction in scalp skin showed that basal lamina was very irregular and undulated, and it contained many attachment plaques of hemidesmosomes with sub-basal dense plates, tonofilaments, and anchoring filaments. Also invaginations of plasma membrane of basal keratinocytes were seen. There were clear differences both on the outside of the follicle and around the dermal papilla as compared with similar junction in the skin. In particular, neither hemidesmosomes nor tonofilaments, as seen in dermoepidermal junction, were observed in the dermal papilla. Also attachment plaque, sub-basal dense plate and anchoring filaments were not observed at the junction on the outside of the follicle and the dermal papilla. There were some differences between connective tissue-epithelial junctions on the outside of the hair follicle and around the dermal papilla, ie, smoothness of basal lamina and orthogonal arrangement of collagen fibers were seen in the outside of hair follicle, but not in the dermal papilla. These results indicate that the mechanical connection between the hair follicle and the connective tissue component is much weaker than that between the corresponding components in skin, and it reflects the dynamic processes during the anagen phase of the hair follicle compared to the relatively permanent state of the epidermis.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.233-241
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• 2003

Patterns of tannin accumulation in leaves of C-4 Euphorbia maculata have been examined using electron microscopy. Tannins, which are secondary metabolite phenolic compounds, were found to be deposited conspicuously in vacuoles of certain tissues regardless of their stage in development. However, patterns of deposit accumulation were distinguishable by their cell type during leaf differentiation. The deposits appeared most concentrated in the concentric bundle sheath cells enclosing veins, while little or no density was detected mostly in the mesophyll cells close to the epidermis. An ultrastructural study revealed that the deposits were restricted to the vacuoles at an early stage of leaf development; during which the vacuoles were almost completely filled with the tanniferous substances. The deposits themselves took different forms ranging from granules to huge globules while expanding leaf blade. As the leaf matured, the deposits accumulated either centripetally adjacent to the inner tangential tonoplast or by penetration into the cytoplasm amongst various cellular organelles, resulting in an extremely dense cytoplasm. Electron micrographs frequently showed the delineation of each organelle by the presence of dense deposits within the cytoplasm. Some large depository vacuoles filled with tannins had a corrugated appearance on the sectioned surface. The pattern and potential role of the deposits have been discussed.