Today’s microscopy images look like living stained glass.
These photos were kindly submitted by user T.
The four images at the top show leaves of Plectranthus (a member of the mint family), while the two images at the bottom are leaves of Tradescantia pallida.
The mix of green and reddish-purple cells creates a beautiful pattern reminiscent of stained glass.
Both subjects could easily inspire designs for glass artwork as they are.
Plectranthus is said to have an unusual leaf structure, with green on the upper surface and purple on the underside.
The tips of the leaf hairs appear purple, while their bases are colorless.
Tradescantia pallida, on the other hand, appears entirely purple to the naked eye, but under the microscope, small green spots can be seen.
I wonder if these features serve a specific function.
A quick search suggests that red or purple pigmentation in leaves may help protect chloroplasts from strong light.
However, Plectranthus has a green upper surface.
Perhaps in Plectranthus, the pigmentation serves a different role.
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