These images are transverse sections of stem-wood from two temperate deciduous tree species from Manistee, Michigan. The top image is from a White Oak (Quercus alba) tree while the bottom image is a Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) tree. These sections were used in a study analyzing how ray parenchyma cells in wood are related to radial wood nutrient translocation within trees. The ray parenchyma can be identified as the long lines of symplastically connected cells that span across each section. Additionally, the Oak species on the top depicts a band of multiseriate rays that are multiple ray parenchyma wide. These cells are hypothesized to influence radial nutrient translocation within sapwood and are tied to many other plant functions such as the storage of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) and plant defense compounds.
