Figure 2.

Light and Transmission Electron Microscopy of C. peltata Leaves and MBs.

Leaves and MBs were harvested at the end of the day, fixed in glutaraldehyde, and stained using osmium-(VIII)-oxide.

(A) Light microscopy of toluidine blue–stained leaf section containing a thick epidermis (epi), palisade mesophyll (pal), and spongy mesophyll (sp).

(B) Transmission electron micrograph of leaf section showing starch granules (S) inside a guard cell (gc).

(C) Transmission electron micrograph of leaf section displaying epidermal cell and palisade mesophyll cell chloroplasts with thylakoids and starch granules. Starch granules were present in chloroplasts of all different cell types of C. peltata leaves examined. No deposition of large amounts of soluble polysaccharides could be detected.

(D) Light microscopy of transverse section of MB showing the epidermal cell layer (epi) surrounding uniform parenchymal cells (par).

(E) Transmission electron micrograph of MB sections displaying densely packed parenchymal cells containing spherical glycogen-filled plastids (GP) and lipid droplets (LD).

(F) and (G) Transmission electron microscopy magnifications of a MBs plastid surrounded by a double membrane (black arrows). Small internal membrane systems were visible ([G], white arrow), but most of the volume is occupied by 20- to 30-nm glycogen particles.