A Technique for Measuring Fibril Angle Using Polarized Light

Authors

  • Lawrence Leney

Keywords:

Microfibril angle, polarized-light microscopy, microscopy of wood, cell wall, wood cell wall

Abstract

Polarized-light microscopy has been used to measure the fibril angle of plant cell walls. To do this the polarized light must pass through only a single cell wall of a wood fiber. A simplified method has been developed to produce microscope slides of half-fibers (fibers cut in half longitudinally) by maceration of microtomed wood sections. There are certain important variations from the standard methods in mounting the half-fibers on the slides.

References

Cousin, W. J. 1972. Measurement of mean microfibril angles of wood tracheids. Wood Sci. Tech. 6(1972):58.nMeylan, B. A. 1967. Measurement of microfibril angle by X-ray diffraction. For. Prod. J. 17(5):51-58.nPage, D. H. 1969. A method for determining the fibrillar angle in wood tracheids. J. Micros. 90(2):137-143.nPreston, R. D. 1934. Organization of the cell wall of the conifer tracheid. Royal Society, Philosoph. Trans. B 224:131-173.nPreston, R. D. 1952. The molecular architecture of plant cell walls. Chapman and Hall. 176 pp.nPrud'Homme, R. E., and J. Noah. 1975. Determination of fibril angle distribution in wood fibers: A comparison between the X-ray diffraction and the polarized microscope method. Wood Fiber 6(4):282-289.n

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Published

2007-06-27

Issue

Number 1 / January 1981

Section

Research Contributions

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