32nd Annual Student Research Conference
Analysis of Vascular Tissue Structure in the Primary Seedling Roots of Three Zea mays Inbred Lines
Jacob R. Higginson
Dr. Diane Janick-Buckner, Faculty Mentor
Maize inbred lines have uniform, reproducible genotypes used for studying genetics, development and biological processes such as photosynthesis and vascular tissue transport. We examined the size, number, patterning, and relative area of vascular tissue elements in seedling primary roots in three maize inbred lines. B73, Mo17 and W22 seedlings were grown in the dark at 30°C for 6 days. Sections were prepared from primary roots and examined using a confocal microscope. The number, size, and relative area of xylem and metaxylem in the vascular tissue of each plant were recorded and compared among inbred lines. Patterns of metaxylem organization were also analyzed. Our data indicate that B73, Mo17 and W22 exhibit differences in the number and size of metaxylem and xylem, as well as in the relative area occupied by xylem. Additionally, the pattern of metaxylem within the primary root of W22 is significantly different than in B73 and Mo17.
Keywords: Maize, Zea mays, Mo17, W22, B73, Xylem, Metaxylem, Vascular Structure
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 8-9
Location: SUB GEO
Time: 3:00