Microscopy Image Gallery

Exploration of the Month

August 1998

stem at base

the stem


The stem is the strongest part of the sunflower. Some sunflowers reach fifteen feet in length so they must be rigid. The stem also transports water from the roots of the plant to the top. To the touch, the stem is really coarse. It feels this way because tiny hairs line the outside of the stem. The pictures below show these hairs. The black and white photographs were taken with the scanning electron microscope. One of the great advantages of the SEM is the ability to detect depth. The tiny hairs can now be seen in fine detail.



'hair' on sunflower stem SEM view 40X SEM view 150X

See the pieces of the stem below? The inside is hollow. Why do you suppose this is? The pictures taken with the scanning electron microscope show the transition between the layers of the stem. The diameter of the tiny holes changes depending on their location. The final picture on the right depicts the small canals which transport water from the ground to the top of the sunflower. Because the illustration is magnified 1000 times, we can see these special characteristics of the plant.

cross section of stem SEM view 150X SEM view 1000X

Main Sunflower Page

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Last Updated: 8/03/98