Visualising Silicon in Plants: Histochemistry, Silica Sculptures and Elemental Imaging

摘要: Silicon is a non-essential element for plants and available in biota as silicic acid. Its presence has been associated with general improvement of plant vigour response to exogenous stresses. Plants accumulate silicon their tissues amorphous silica cell walls are preferential sites. While several papers have published on the mitigatory effects that under stress, there less research imaging tissues. Imaging offers important complementary results molecular data, since it provides spatial information. Herein, focus histochemistry coupled optical microscopy, fluorescence scanning electron microscopy microwave acid extracted silica, techniques based particle-induced X-ray emission, spectrometry mass (NanoSIMS). Sample preparation procedures will not be discussed detail, reviews already treated this subject extensively. We instead information each technique by offering, approach, examples from both silicifiers (giant horsetail rice) non-accumulators (Cannabis sativa L.).