Fine structure of Classopollis exines

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Serial sections for light microscopy or transmission electron microscopy of two Classopollis pollen tetrads show that the exine structure, except for the nexine, has radially arranged rodlike units interwoven with transverse subunits. The nexine consists of strands or thin sheets except in the equatorial infratectal striate band area, where it is up to ca. 1 μm thick. Nexine is absent in the areas of the distal cryptopore and the subequatorial circumpolar infratectal canal. It is very thin or absent in the tetrad scar. Native contrast and reactivity to stain disappeared on immersion of thin sections in 1 M NaOH or HCl or in water. Reactivity to stains was regained after oxidizing the sections in KMnO4. Reactivity to stains appears to be dependent upon non-sporopollenin molecules embedded within exines. The above immersions remove stain reactive sites. Oxidative etching of sporopollenin exposes new sites. The specimens of Classopollis classoides Pflug studied and illustrated were picked from an Upper Jurassic sample (CRC 31519-2) collected at Osmington Mills locality, Dorset, England.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: