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Ludisia discolor
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Leptospermum rotundifolium
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Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum
March 20, 2009 : Mentha ×piperita
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Plant Family / Families: Lamiaceae
Scientific Name and Author: Mentha ×piperita L.
Today concludes the UBC research series. We still have a few outstanding entries, but we'll add them to the general mix. Ruth continues with the series:
Dr. Lacey Samuels is an Assistant Professor in the UBC Department of Botany. Her research initiatives mainly focus on plant cell biology and the secretion of the cell wall.
Heather McFarlane is a PhD candidate from Dr. Samuels' lab and she writes: "The picture above is a cryo-scanning electron micrograph of mint (Mentha ×piperita) leaf surface (scale bar = 100 micrometers). Mint secretes essential oils into glands (G) on the surface of its leaves. These glandular trichomes are distinct from other types of trichomes, such as hairs (H). In nature, mint essential oils may serve to protect the plant against insect and other herbivores. Commercially, these oils are employed in a variety of products. In the Samuels lab, we study lipid export, using mint essential oil export to glandular trichomes as one model system."
"We also study lipid export using Arabidopsis thaliana and Sorghum bicolor as model systems. Cryo-SEM allows us to freeze cells that are actively exporting essential oils, and to examine these cells at high magnification. This helps us gain insight into the possible mechanisms of lipid export to and from plant cells."
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at March 20, 2009 3:36 PM
Comments
...or read recent comments on all BPotD Entries
Posted by: Annie Morgan at March 20, 2009 5:11 PM
Wow, such complexity! Thanks.
Posted by: Meg Bernstein at March 20, 2009 5:23 PM
Wow. Just wow.
Posted by: Mary at March 20, 2009 6:00 PM
So some look like secretions (G) and some look like diffrientiated cells that are part of the secretions (not labeled but looking like glands with dents in them). So I am curious if the lipids are excreted through the labeled part (G) or if that is a drop of the essential oil and the glands are another part? Just wondering but not really sure I'll get some answer!
Posted by: Adriana at March 20, 2009 6:11 PM
Sorry about the typo! Should have read it before hitting the button. "differentiated "
Posted by: Adriana at March 20, 2009 6:14 PM
Great photo! Wonderful website. Thanks for sharing your botanical treasure chest with us each day.
Posted by: Helen at March 20, 2009 10:32 PM
Stunning photograph, thanks.
Posted by: ingrid at March 21, 2009 6:16 AM
Fascinating! Thanks
Posted by: susan at March 21, 2009 7:27 AM
Mint tea is my favorite drink. Know I can visualize where the wonderful aroma and taste comes from. Plants are amazing. So is the micro imaging. Wonderful site, Always makes my day with a touch of plant life.
Posted by: Janice at March 21, 2009 11:11 AM
Hi Adriana. Good eye picking out the unusual looking glands!
The things that look a bit like glands, but have dents in them (sort of like a basketball) are glands that are still in the process of filling with essential oil. The glands are made of eight cells each. All eight cells secrete their oils into a common "pool" on top of the cells. The whole thing is surrounded by the cuticle, which holds the eight-celled gland and the essential oil together.
Thanks to everyone else for your comments!
- Heather
Posted by: Heather McFarlane at March 21, 2009 6:03 PM
A couple more questions: 1) am I seeing stomata on the leaf surface, and 2) do the non glandular trichromes consist of three to four cylindrical cells emphasized by the "bands" encircling the hairs. A wonderful shot especially the lighting. Thanks
Posted by: Ian Sturges at March 22, 2009 10:37 AM
Wow..!...who would ever have thought that the fuzzy leaf of mint would could hold such secrets...
i just love electron micrographs.
another note...south eastren New Mexico had a 4 hour rain the night before...the first in about 9 months...the desert said ahhh...
Posted by: phillip at March 22, 2009 11:33 AM
Thanks for putting these series together, very interesting work!
Posted by: Caro at March 22, 2009 3:45 PM
That is sooo amazing! The tiniest of things are often quite complex and gorgeous!
Posted by: SoapySophia at March 22, 2009 4:24 PM
Hi Ian.
Yes, those are stomata. This picture is of the abaxial side (the underside) of the leaf, where there are many stomata. However, the adaxial surface (the top of the leaf) also has many glandular trichomes.
And, yes, the non-glandualr trichome hairs are multicellular, unlike the Arabidopsis trichomes that were posted yesterday, which are single-celled and branched.
Posted by: Heather McFarlane at March 22, 2009 10:21 PM
my mother always had a bed of mint
where ever we lived
thank you as always -heather is preety
do you all not think
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at March 23, 2009 2:45 PM
forgive i meant lacey
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at March 23, 2009 2:48 PM
Hello!
What are these structeres, not labelled, smaller than the glands and the hairs. They look like small mushrooms or ice cream. They have a head. What is it? Please help me!
Posted by: Marta Ptaszyk at December 28, 2009 2:33 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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An alien world!!