Abstract
Structure of protein bodies in the seeds of 16 species (rice, buckwheat, wheat, Japanese black pine, sesame, Brazil nut, sunflower, water melon, soybean, pea, almond, cashew nut, peanut, hazelnut, walnut and pecan) was studied with semithin sections of aldehyde fixed and GMA embedded tissues. The occurrence of globoid was significantly different among tissues of different species. Globoid size and frequency (number per unit area of section) were estimated to clarify their relationships with total phosphorus content in these tissues. The size and frequency of globoid seems to associated with the difference in phosphorus content. The difference in the appearance of globoid, which is found among various tissues in the seeds or various regions in the tissues suggested the unequal distribution of phosphorus within the seed. In comparison with the seeds of rice, cotton and castor bean in structure of the protein bodies, it was indicated that the difference in protein content in the protein bodies corresponded with the mass of the proteinous regions, that is, protein matrix and crystalloid.
