Mahogany wood structure. Polarised light micrograph of a longitudinal tangential section through a woody stem (xylem) of a mahogany (Swietenia sp.) tr

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Mahogany wood structure. Polarised light micrograph of a longitudinal tangential section through a woody stem (xylem) of a mahogany (Swietenia sp.) tree, showing the medullary rays (purple circles with yellow walls). These are full of living wood parenchyma cells. In-between the rays are long xylem tracheid cells (green-orange-blue) which are dead but carry water and mineral salts. The section has cut through a xylem vessel (bright orange-yellow walls) showing scalariform (ladder-like) pits for water to pass laterally. Magnification: x46 when printed 10 centimetres wide.

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Size: 5765px × 4870px
Photo credit: © DR KEITH WHEELER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: angiosperm, angiosperms, biological, biology, botanical, botany, cell, cells, cuticle, cytology, flora, light, lm, longitudinal, mahogany, medulla, medullary, micrograph, microscope, nature, parenchyma, pit, pits, plant, polarised, ray, rays, scalariform, section, sectioned, sp., structure, support, supportive, swietenia, tangential, tracheid, tracheids, transport, tree, vessel, water, xylem