Stereological analysis of cotyledon tissue inVicia faba L. var. aquadulce during germination

Summary Stereological analysis was carried out on cotyledon tissue at three different stages of germination. The tissue was selected by reference to adjacent sections which were assayed histochemically for protease activity. Day six tissue had no activity while eight and 14-day tissue did. Results show that during germination both tissue and cellular components undergo changes. The cells increase in size, the intercellular spaces increase, the cytoplasm increases in volume, the protein bodies swell and fuse, and small starch grains appear while the large starch grains do not undergo any major changes.