Mature Lily Anther Cross Section Under the Microscope
Mature Lily Anther (Cross Section), Lilium
This is a cross section of a mature lily anther stained with safranin and fast green. It shows the four pollen sacs where pollen develops, and it is the standard slide for learning how flowers make pollen.
This is a cross section of a mature lily anther (Lilium), stained with safranin and fast green. The anther is the part of a flower that makes pollen, and here its four pollen sacs sit in two pairs, joined in the middle by connective tissue with a small vein. The sacs are packed with pollen grains that have bumpy, patterned walls, and many grains show one or two dark nuclei. The sac wall has a layer of long cells called the endothecium, which helps the anther split open to release pollen. Thin strands inside the sacs are what is left of the tapetum, a layer that fed the pollen as it developed.
What to look for
- Pollen sacs: Four chambers arranged in two pairs, making a butterfly-like outline.
- Pollen grains: Many round grains packed inside the sacs.
- Connective tissue: The central tissue joining the two halves of the anther, with a small vascular bundle.
- Epidermis: The outer layer of cells around the anther.
- Endothecium: A layer under the epidermis with thickened walls that help the anther split open.
Questions and answers
What does a lily anther cross section look like under a microscope?
A lily anther cross section shows four pollen sacs arranged in two pairs, joined in the middle by connective tissue with a vein. In a mature anther, the sacs are packed with pollen grains.
Why is lily used for anther slides?
Lily flowers are large, and their anthers and pollen grains are big and easy to section and stain. That makes the stages of pollen development easy to see.
Compare it
- Category
- Botany & Plants
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- Safranin / Fast Green
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