VISUALIZATION OF PLANT-CELL WALLS BY ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY

Atomic force microscopy has been used to visualize the ultrastructure of hydrated plant cell wall material from prepared apple (Malus pumila MILL; Cox orange pippin), water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis L.), pota to (Solanum tuberosum L.; Bintje), and carrot (Daucus carota L.; Amste rdamse bak) parenchyma. Samples of cell wall material in aqueous suspe nsion were deposited onto freshly cleaved mica. Excess water was blott ed away and the moist samples were imaged in air at ambient temperatur e and humidity. The three-dimensional images obtained highlighted the layered structure of the plant cell walls and revealed features interp reted as individual cellulose microfibrils and plasmodesmata.