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Illinois IGB

Core Facilities

Core: Image of the Month

  • August 2023

    Just like our own bodies need a mechanism to regulate gas and water content in our cells, plant tissue also needs a mechanism for this too. Plant stomata (pictured above) are pores that regulate transpiration of water and gas exchange. These pores open and close in response to their environment by the swelling of guard cells that flank the opening. Researchers in the Leakey lab can image stomata opening and closing in live plant tissue while controlling the carbon dioxide, humidity, and light levels. Image was taken with LSM710.