Trees under the microscope

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

[quote name=daltontrees;1029467 The S1' date=' S2 and S3 layers of the cell walls are visible.

 

The second slide shows it in Cross Polarised Light. Sure enough, where there is nothing to rotate the light it looks black. But the cellulose in the cell walls, especially the shallow angled cellulose in S2, is diffracting the light so that it is getting through the second polariser. And if it had been infected with say K. deusta in soft rot mode, you would have been able to see a reduction in cellulose. Which is what I am trying to put across as the great benefits of microscopy with the advantage of Cross Polarised Light and a rotating stage.

 

To be honest I don't see how anyone could get by without one![/quote]

 

nice post that:thumbup1:

[daltontrees]

Jules I have a book on my shelf that may be of interest. Field and Laboratory Guide to Tree Pathology by R O Blanchard and T A Tattar. It's an old one but discusses staining and fixing and so forth. My missus saw it on ebay and it was about trees so she bought it.

 

 

Field and Laboratory Guide to Tree Pathology Robert O. Blanchard | eBay I didn't pay that much, about a fiver or so. I can pop my copy in the post if it's of interest.

 

Please, please please post to me, as I would very much like to experiment with fixing before spring and bud burst. I will send some spare slides in return. Will sne d private message. Sorry I have been off line for a couple of days as I have been up north.

[daltontrees]

nice post that:thumbup1:

 

So get one, and we can all compare notes...

[Gary Prentice]

Please, please please post to me, as I would very much like to experiment with fixing before spring and bud burst. I will send some spare slides in return. Will sne d private message. Sorry I have been off line for a couple of days as I have been up north.

 

Pm me your address. I didn't buy the one I messaged about as I was unsure on its suitability. Would I be better getting a polarizing one?

[daltontrees]

Sorry again I have been up north once again and working so hard I have been falling asleep every evening before getting to the 'puter.

 

I will send you my address just now.

 

I have outlined the benefits of a polarising microscope, but it's far from essential. As well as the ability to look at cellulose concentration ad degradation (a very rare requirement except for academic interest) the polarising microscopes are among the few ones that have rotating stages, and I find that feature useful.

[sandspider]

I'll have to fish out my old dissertation electron microscope pictures! They're of crayfish gills, so not directly relevant to the thread or the forum, but the magnification and detail are amazing...

[daltontrees]

It would be good to see them here. Was the fish pun intended?

[daltontrees]

Pm me your address. I didn't buy the one I messaged about as I was unsure on its suitability. Would I be better getting a polarizing one?

 

PM sent but please check as I migh somehow have fired it off to the Rosetta satellite instead by accident.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

So get one, and we can all compare notes...

 

Thats the plan, just cant make up my mind which one to go for, lots of choices and prices!

[Gary Prentice]

PM sent but please check as I migh somehow have fired it off to the Rosetta satellite instead by accident.

 

It came as a public message, so I've deleted it. I'll try to get it posted tonight and there's no rush to return it. I haven't had time myself to more than skim through the contents page, so I hope it's worth reading. It is on the bookshelf at Syston, so I imagine it's of some use.