Techniques for Preparing Seeds with Water-Impermeable Coats for Light and Electron Microscopy

An improved method for fixing and embedding seeds with impermeable coats for microscopic study has been developed. Entry portals are cut into seed coats to permit better penetration of fixative. This makes it possible to obtain semithin sections of whole seeds for light microscopy and thin sections of selected areas for electron microscopy. Seed tissues may thereby be studied relative to their position in the seed and to surrounding tissues. This permits studies of imbibition and developmental morphology of seeds in histological and cytological detail previously possible only with soft or dissected seeds.