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Category:Leaf epidermis and stomata prints

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Project Description: Leaf epidermis and stomata prints

This project is a collaborative effort to build a comprehensive collection of high-quality, freely available, images of plant epidermis and stomata prints captured under the microscope.

The catalogue aims to serve as a resource for educators, researchers, students, and enthusiasts interested in plant biology, anatomy, and microscopy techniques.

Goals of the Project

  • Document plant epidermis and stomatal structures across a wide range of plant species.
  • Showcase microscopy techniques and magnifications for visualizing plant epidermis and stomata prints.
  • Foster open access to scientific images for educational and research purposes.

How You Can Contribute

Contributions are welcome from anyone with access to a microscope and an interest in plant science! If you have images of prints of leaf epidermis or stomata, please upload them to this collection and include as much information as possible to ensure the images are scientifically valuable.

It is OK to upload your leaf prints of species that others have already sampled. Comparisons of leaves of the same species from different times, places and people are useful!

To upload an image, go to the Wikimedia Commons main page https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page and use the Upload button, usually top right of a PC screen.

Making epidermal prints

Basic method, adapted from Brown and Ratford 2023, as first reported in Paul D. Adanick (2023), 'A survey of commonly used leaf epidermal imprint techniques and two improved methods', The Quekett Journal of Microscopy 44 (Part 5), pp325-323.

Here is a video for the basic method on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMsTgZR7R2w

  • Cut out a leaf square, avoiding major raised veins.
  • Add a small drop of UV crystal resin to the centre of a microscope slide.
  • Place leaf square on top of UV crystal gel drop.
  • EITHER Place a second microscope slide liberally smeared with Vaseline, with the Vaseline side down onto the leaf OR use a piece of non-stick baking paper on top of the leaf before adding the second slide on top.
  • Clip the microscope slide/leaf sandwich together with two clothes pegs
  • Flip the sandwich over so the UV resin side is visible on top and expose the slide for 60 seconds to sunlight or your UV blue light source.
  • Remove the clips and take off the Vaseline coated slide.
  • Carefully peel off the leaf to reveal the final leaf epidermal print.
  • view under a microscope with a 10 x objective and a 40x objective
  • Photograph, including/adding an accurate scale bar.

Fleshy or round leaves

  • Place a drop of the UV crystal gel on the centre of a slide. Place the thick or round sample onto the drop, so part of the srface is in contact with the gel. shine a UV light from underneath the slide upwards to cause the gel to set. Remove leaf.

Video on making epidermal prints with succulent leaves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Y6g9wjkyw

Thin, delicate or very small leaves

  • Make a thin line of the UV crystal gel just off centre of a slide. Use a second slide to spread the line of gel into a thin layer. Place sample on top. shine a UV light from underneath the slide upwards to cause the gel to set. Remove leaf.

Video on making epidermal prints from delicate or very small leaves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi44_CawZpU

Needle like leaves Make a line of the UV crystal gel just off centre of a slide. Use a second slide to spread the line of gel into a layer not quite as thick as the needle shaped leaves. Place sample on top. shine a UV light from underneath the slide upwards to cause the gel to set. Remove leaf. Video on making epidermal prints from needle shaped leaves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZVZRjapNso

What to Include with Your Upload:

(have a look at an existing record for guidance)

  • On the image
    • Scale bar
  • Caption format
    • (plant name) leaf epidermis print with stomata (magnification, or even better, obective used)
  • Description
    • Plant species name (e.g., Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays).
    • Location where the sample was collected (optional).
    • Magnification used (e.g., 400x).
    • Microscopy technique (e.g., light microscopy, brightfield, dark field, phase contrast, electron microscopy).
    • Any additional information about the sample or method, e.g. using nail carnish or UV crystal resin method.
  • Link to categories
    • Category for name of species
    • Leaf epidermis and stomata prints
    • Microscopic images of leaves - epidermis with stomata

Together, we can create a repository that highlights the diversity and beauty of leaf epidermis and stomata across the plant kingdom!

Chris J R Thomas (ChrisInMilton)

Pages in category "Leaf epidermis and stomata prints"

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Media in category "Leaf epidermis and stomata prints"

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