Calcium Oxalate In Asarum canadense ovule walls
This is a polarized light transverse image under partially crossed polarizers (so both optically active and inactive material can be seen with brighness contrast) of a ovule wall in the Gynoecium of Asarum canadense, or wild ginger. Crystalline birefringent material is present in the ovule wall as shown by the bright (white) spots outlining the wall edge. I have only observed 1 crystal per cell. These are reported to be calcium oxalate crystals.
The protocol was as follows. Specimens fixed in FAA (formaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol) 48 hr. Dehydrated in 35, 50, 75, 85, 95, 99 % IPA in water, 6 hours each min. Infiltrated in xylene saturated with Paraplast for 2 days, followed by 2 changes of melted Praplast for 2 hours each. Embedded in Paraplast. Sectioned on a Spencer 820 microtome at 11 micron. Cleared in Xylene 2X, 10 min each. Rehydrated 99 (10 min), 95, 85, 70 % IPA, 2 min. each. Stained Gill's Hematoxylin 20 sec. Washed 3 min running water. Blued 0.05 % lithium carbonate 30 s. Water rinse 1 min. Stained 1 % aq. Eosin-Y 1 min. Dehydrated 99 % IPA 2 min. Cleared 2X xyene 5 min each. Mounted with DEPEX.
Photographed on a Spencer 42 petrographic polarizing microscope using an original magnification of 430X, using a Sony NEX 5N with a Leica MIKAS 1/3X adapter.
Calcium Oxalate In Asarum canadense ovule walls
This is a polarized light transverse image under partially crossed polarizers (so both optically active and inactive material can be seen with brighness contrast) of a ovule wall in the Gynoecium of Asarum canadense, or wild ginger. Crystalline birefringent material is present in the ovule wall as shown by the bright (white) spots outlining the wall edge. I have only observed 1 crystal per cell. These are reported to be calcium oxalate crystals.
The protocol was as follows. Specimens fixed in FAA (formaldehyde, acetic acid, ethanol) 48 hr. Dehydrated in 35, 50, 75, 85, 95, 99 % IPA in water, 6 hours each min. Infiltrated in xylene saturated with Paraplast for 2 days, followed by 2 changes of melted Praplast for 2 hours each. Embedded in Paraplast. Sectioned on a Spencer 820 microtome at 11 micron. Cleared in Xylene 2X, 10 min each. Rehydrated 99 (10 min), 95, 85, 70 % IPA, 2 min. each. Stained Gill's Hematoxylin 20 sec. Washed 3 min running water. Blued 0.05 % lithium carbonate 30 s. Water rinse 1 min. Stained 1 % aq. Eosin-Y 1 min. Dehydrated 99 % IPA 2 min. Cleared 2X xyene 5 min each. Mounted with DEPEX.
Photographed on a Spencer 42 petrographic polarizing microscope using an original magnification of 430X, using a Sony NEX 5N with a Leica MIKAS 1/3X adapter.