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Button botany: plasmodesmata in vegetable ivory.

Allan Witztum1, Randy Wayne

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer Sheva, Israel.

Protoplasma
|September 3, 2011
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vegetable ivory buttons, made from elephant plant endosperm, reveal ancient intercellular communication pathways. These pathways, including cytoplasm and plasmodesmata, are visible in century-old buttons.

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Area of Science:

  • Plant biology
  • Materials science
  • Paleontology

Background:

  • The hard endosperm of Phytelephas palms, known as vegetable ivory, has historical significance in manufacturing.
  • Buttons made from this material were popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and production has seen resurgences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential for visualizing cellular structures within historical vegetable ivory artifacts.
  • To demonstrate that ancient intercellular communication pathways can be observed in readily available antique buttons.

Main Methods:

  • Microscopic examination of century-old vegetable ivory buttons.
  • Visualization techniques focused on intercellular structures like pits and plasmodesmata.

Main Results:

  • Intercellular communication pathways, specifically the cytoplasm within pits and plasmodesmata, were successfully visualized.
  • These structures were clearly identifiable in buttons that are over a century old.

Conclusions:

  • Antique vegetable ivory buttons serve as valuable specimens for studying plant cell biology.
  • The preservation of cellular structures in these artifacts offers insights into plant anatomy and historical material use.