Some Ultrastructural Observations on Calcium Oxalate Raphide Crystal Idioblasts and Meristematic Cells of the Adventive Root Tips of Sternbergia lutea (L.) Ker-Gawl. ex Sprengel (Amaryllidaceae)

Authors: FERUZAN DANE, ÇİLER MERİÇ, GÜLARA HÜSEYİNOVA

Abstract: The adventive root tip cells of a bulbous plant, Sternbergia lutea (L.) Ker-Gawl. ex Sprengel (Amaryllidaceae), were examined by LM (light microscope) and EM (electron microscope). At the meristematic area of the root tips, which was 1 mm in length, two types of cell were observed: meristematic cells and Ca-oxalate raphide crystal idioblasts. Ca-oxalate raphide crystal idioblasts were observed to lie in two lines between the inner and outer ground meristems. Some similarities and some differences were found between those cells in their ultrastructure. It was seen that the membrane thickness of crystal idioblasts and meristematic cells were the same. They were also found to be similar in cell content, both containing nuclei, cytoplasm, vacuoles, mitochondria and proplastids. However the organization of the cell contents, the numbers, the forms and sizes of vacuoles were different between these cell types. In some meristematic cells and idioblasts of certain roots, some degenerated changes were seen due to necrosis. Those changes were in the form of plasmolysis, karyolysis, karyorrhexis, chromatin roughness, karyopyknosis andorganelle loss.

Keywords: Sternbergia lutea, adventive root tip, meristematic cell, Ca-oxalate raphide crystal idioblast, degeneration, ultrastructure.

Full Text: PDF