Light microscopic staining and histochemical applications for plant meristems embedded in Spurr's medium.

A simple and convenient procedure was u sed for studying plant m erist ematic tissues. Tissues were fixed in 4% glutaraldehyde, dehydrated in a t ertiary butyl alcohol series and embedded in SPURR's m edium. Sectioning may be done with a glass knife in an inexpensively made holder fitted t o a rotary microtome. Sta ining with 0.5 % aqueous safranin or fast green was followed by counter st a ining in 0.2 % a queous toluidine blue a t 60°C. U sing appropriate hist ochemical methods at appropria te stages in the process it was shown that enzymes, nucleic acids, total proteins and polysacchar ides could be identified.