Elemental Distribution Measurement of Plants by X-Ray Analysis Microscope

Abstract

X-ray elemental mapping of two species of vascular plants (Aristolochia debilis and Athyrium yokoscense) was performed using an X-ray analysis microscope XGT (HORIBA, Ltd.). We could obtain distribution patterns of different kinds of element in the living plant body. The pattern is gauged with fluorescence evoked by X-ray that narrowed down to the material from a capillary of the XGT.

The observation was designed to avoid dehydration of plant samples in the detection chamber during the X-ray exposure. We report here some results as an example of XGT use for fresh plant material.