MEASURING CELL-WALL DIMENSIONS USING THE DISTANCE TRANSFORM

A method has been developed to measure various features of cells and c ell walls. It offers possibilities for quantitative analysis of micros copic images which were not feasible before. The method is not based o n a model and the only assumption required is that the middle lamella is exactly in the middle of the cell wall of two neighbouring cells. I ntercellular spaces are handled correctly with this method. Features c an be measured both per individual cell and per frame. It is also poss ible to measure the variation of the cell wall within a single cell. H ence the variation of the cell wall thickness within cells can be comp ared to variation between cells. The method is demonstrated for Gerber a but is generally applicable to anatomical studies of plant tissues.