| Abstract: | Electron microscopic observation of somatic embryogenesis from cultured immature wheat embryos revealed the presence of a lot of small vacuoles, a large nucleus, clear nucleolus and polynucleoli. The electron density of cytoplasm was strengthened during somatic embryogenesis. Quantity and type of organelles—plastid, ribosome and mitochondrion were increased; thickened cell wall, disappeared plasmodesmata, increased organelles andstarch accumulation in the embryogenic cells. Nucleolus vacuoles, autophagic vacuoles and secretory vesicles were present in the embryogenic cells with thickened cell walls. The multicellular proembryos, globular embryoid and pear-shaped embryoid were surrounded by an envelop, but plasmodesmata existed extensively between cells of somatic embryoid. The membranous structures appeared in the plastid which underwent transformation into chloroplast in the cells of growing point in almost mature embryoid. The relation of the above-mentioned structureal changes to somatic embryogenesis is also discussed. |
