Qualitative Detection of Mg Content in a Leaf of Hedera helix by Using X-ray Radiation From a Laser Plasma Source
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Microscopy Research and Technique |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Analytic chemistry |
| Keywords | X-ray contact microradiography; plant leaves; magnesium target; leaf details; |
| Description | In this article, a method to reveal the presence of Mg content inside the different parts of leaves of Hedera helix is presented. In fact a sample of a Hedera helix s leaf, commonly characterized by a green and a white side, is analyzed under X ray radiation. The presence of two zones with different colors in the Hedera helix s leaf has not been explained. In this connection, there are presently three hypotheses to explain the characteristic double-color appearance of the leaf. The first hypothesis suggests a different cytoplasmic inheritance of chloroplasts at the cell division, the second a different allelic composition, homozygote and heterozygote, between the two zones, and finally the third the action of a virus which changes the color properties in the Hedera s leaves. The resulting effect is a different content of something between the green and the white side. We utilized X-ray radiation, obtained from a plasma source with a Mg target, to image Hedera helix leaves and we found that the green side of the leaf is highlighted. We may suppose that the reason why the X-rays from a Mg plasma source, allow us to pick up the green side is probably due to the greater presence of the amount of Mg (from chlorophyll or other complexes and/or salts) in the two sides, green and white, of the leaf. |