| Review: |
Autofluorescence (fluorescence of living cells induced by uv or violet light and seen under a microscope) depends on the chemical composition of a plant’s secretions. These can be identified by their fluorescence characteristics. The method could be used to differentiate secretory from non-secretory cells; analyse the contents of the cells at norm and under the influence of a variety of factors; or analyse cell–cell interactions. This book describes the phenomenon of autofluorescence of plant secretory cells and investigates the possible uses of light emission by cell biologists, biophysicists, botanists and ecologists. There are chapters on: specialized secretory cells; fluorescence of secretions; secretory cells during development; living cells at intercellular contacts; cellular diagnostics; and individual components of secretions as fluorescent dyes and probes. |