Chloroplasts are where plant cells perform photosynthesis and wheat, like many other plants, inherits chloroplasts only from the mother through small precursors called plastids.
But how this happened was unknown – why didn’t the male’s chloroplast DNA travel with the rest in sperm?
By tagging plastids in wheat with a protein that glowed green scientists at Rothamsted Research and the University of Manchester could watch them in developing pollen grains. They saw for the first time that plastids are degraded in sperm cells just before fertilisation, meaning only plastids from the mother plant are inherited by the offspring.
In the image above the top line shows the protein attached to the plastids in wheat pollen, in the bottom row it is untargeted.
The finding could be used to help breed better strains of wheat, one of the world’s most important and valuable crops.
You’ve likely heard the terms, Petals, Stamen, Pistil, & Pollen? These are all parts of a flower. Yup, we’re talking about Plant Sex. It’s going on right now in a garden near you and summer is just getting started.
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The pollen basket or Corbicula (plural corbiculae) is part of the tibia on the hind legs of certain species of bees. They use the structure in harvesting pollen and returning it to the nest or hive. Bees in four tribes of the family Apidae, subfamily Apinae: the honey bees, bumblebees, stingless bees, and orchid bees have corbiculae.
The corbicula is a polished cavity surrounded by a fringe of hairs, into which the bee collects the pollen; most other bees possess a structure called the scopa, which is similar in function, but is a dense mass of branched hairs into which pollen is pressed, with pollen grains held in place in the narrow spaces between the hairs.
A honey bee moistens the forelegs with its protruding tongue and brushes the pollen that has collected on its head, body and forward appendages to the hind legs. The pollen is transferred to the pollen comb on the hind legs and then combed, pressed, compacted, and transferred to the corbicula on the outside surface of the tibia of the hind legs.
Hibiscus tiliaceus is a widespread member of the mallow family commonly found by beaches as its many sea-inclusive common names suggest. Native through Oceania and South Asia, the plant has now become naturalized throughout he world, including the tropical Americas. There is some dispute about whether it is truly a Hawaiian native plant or whether it was introduced by early settlers who used the plant extensively for its buoyant wood. It also provides fiber from which ropes were made, corky bark which sealed cracks, and parts of the plant can be used to treat fevers and as food. The Hawaiian name for it, hau, appears quite often in contemporary naming for businesses and streets.
H. tiliaceus is one of the very few [sort of] native plants I was able to find and recognize among all the multitudes of introduced species. It was growing alongside a large Thespesia populnea, Ipomea pes-caprae, I. obscura, Abutilon grandifolium, and quite a few clumps of Vitex rotundifolia. It is certainly possible that being close to a coastal rode, the plants were deliberately placed, but even if so, the choice of using natives is to be commended.
The pollen from this species was especially bright, and upon reviewing my photos at full size, I could not only make out the shape of the pollen, but a pronounced contrast of some on the stigma. Where many have the fluorescent coloration and intensity of fresh pollen from the anthers, quite a few are dimmer and blue rather than green. I have two guesses about this. My first thought is that the blue pollen are hollow shells – just the capsule left behind after germination. My second thought is that they are pollen grains from a different species.
If anyone has any insight into which is more likely, I’d love to hear your thoughts as this is something that has been often on my mind for the last 6 months!
It is definitely spring in the south. Pollen is changing the color of cars everywhere. . #pollen #springinthesouth . . #introvertedtraveler #lgstylo4 #traveler #travel #travelblogger #travelingram #explore #youarehere #exploresc #explorer #letsgo #letsgosomewhere #freedom #letsgoanywhere #wanderlust #letswanderhere #summerville #summervillesc #introvertedtravel #notallwhowanderarelost #introvertedtravelers #simplynomads #tvatravel #tvaexplore https://www.instagram.com/p/BvPud6rgnfb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ukce3pz8671f
1. Fist: Make a fist around the epi-pen, don’t place your thumb/fingers over either end
2. Flick the blue cap off
3. Fire. Press down into the outer thigh (the big muscle in there), hold for 10 seconds before removing (the orange cap will cover the needle). Bare skin is best but the epi-pen will go through clothing. Avoid pockets and seams.
- Ring an ambulance even if everything seems to be fine!
More info for those who have asked -
Bare skin is best, but epi-pens go through clothes so don’t stress too much over that
Always, always ring the paramedics after using an epi-pen or even have someone else do it straight away. Another dose may be needed which paramedics can administer.
Location, location. Apologies if outer thigh was a bit vague! If you stand up and allow your arms to hang by your side where your fingers fall against your leg is a great place.
Legal issues, in Australia first aiders are protected by a Good Samaritan Act whereby the provision of reasonable assistance to those injured or ill is protected by law. I’m unsure how this translates to around the world but I’ll do some research
Thank you all for reblogging and getting this message out there, and also for sharing your stories! A lot happened while I was asleep but you definitely made my day and could very well have saved someone else’s just by sharing some information and getting educated! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing over the last year! - Happy Spring Australia - time to defrost and be and safe :)
There is a sunflower field in Dixon. I’ve never been, but I used to own a dress the color of red plums and milk. I tore it dancing in the orchard that October forgot to map.
This is about lines, but mostly about what humans say about sunflowers, about being golden inside & we keep singing light & we keep saying no & seek. & there is this bit about freedom & the edge of the world being not edged but centered close & sometimes even in the poems we are strayed.
I should have kept the torn dress for the daughter I will have, but I can’t stop thinking about florets & if they are rust or luster or maybe like that skin between my knees that keeps shedding—
Space any space begs, move slower, bite softer, kiss less of me.
I thought love was like this & flesh was a word you learn in girlhood. I thought I want familiar & wild & blue-eyed & here, I am dreamscape —
my feet are healed & I am turning in a fog film of flowers. I get to kiss every boy I’ve ever lust if just for a sap minute, only soon they are tearing my dress off & there is plum juice on my shoulder blades & the law of gravity is the law of wanting; there is this center of pollen & it keeps pulling us, bending earth to grain.
& its not about reflection or maybe it is but backwards; the sky is warm rust orange & moonbeams green & all these boys are in the stars & I am left with one I barely know but want to turn to comet dust.
His name changes when he touches me, & this fog is rain we’ve danced with before & we are drinking on a cloud—a glass atrium filled with glass bottles blue like hope & light is seeping & pollen is longing & I say earth dream earth, and his refrain is flesh flesh flesh meaning whole meaning, this is our home & our bath tub is oil & stem, meaning kiss more of me. Blow me to powder, pulp me to sun-milk, leave me lineless.
Look at this lovely fuzzy friend enjoying an artichoke flower, all cute and covered in pollen. I feel like I’ve gotta make the most out of the time I have left with them in the garden; I’ve started to find lots of dead ones on the ground, because winter is on its way!
The new fourth season of Miraculous is adding so many news and plot twists that I’m really enjoying it!! (❤ω❤) At first, I was so sad about how much they made Marinette suffer, but now I’m glad they characterized her as a real girl of her age, dealing with her real life problems and the hero stuff (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ) I really hope that the rest of the season also lives up to my expectations… in the meantime enjoy this little Zoé because she’s super adorable!! (◕ヮ◕)☆
![[ Wonderwall ]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/avatar_0f7f3d5c4b82_30.png){kind=avatar}
