Articles
DETERMINATION OF THE WAX LAYER ULTRASTRUCTURE OF JONAGOLD WITH CONFOCAL AND RASTER ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
Article number
517_49
Pages
389 – 396
Language
Abstract
Until now, techniques for measuring wax layer thickness and analysing wax layer ultrastructure were always destructive and could alter the original structure of the wax.
In this research confocal microscopy and raster electron microscopy were evaluated and compared to conventional scanning electron microscopy.
Both new techniques have the advantage that minimal sample preparation is needed compared to conventional SEM. From the images obtained by means of confocal microscopy, no semicrystalline, flaked structure as described in literature could be observed.
In contrary, a porous structure with little irregular channels was observed.
At the outer surface, cracks could be observed which corresponded to the boundary edges of the epidermal cells beneath the cuticula.
This was confirmed by REM. On several confocal microscopy images small droplets were observed at the surface of the wax layer.
The exact origine, formation and composition of these droplets was not yet revealed.
They were very unstable for they disappeared more or less when more severe techniques as SEM or REM were applied.
The thickness of the wax layer could also be determined from the images, and was found to be typically between 10 to 60 μm.
In this research confocal microscopy and raster electron microscopy were evaluated and compared to conventional scanning electron microscopy.
Both new techniques have the advantage that minimal sample preparation is needed compared to conventional SEM. From the images obtained by means of confocal microscopy, no semicrystalline, flaked structure as described in literature could be observed.
In contrary, a porous structure with little irregular channels was observed.
At the outer surface, cracks could be observed which corresponded to the boundary edges of the epidermal cells beneath the cuticula.
This was confirmed by REM. On several confocal microscopy images small droplets were observed at the surface of the wax layer.
The exact origine, formation and composition of these droplets was not yet revealed.
They were very unstable for they disappeared more or less when more severe techniques as SEM or REM were applied.
The thickness of the wax layer could also be determined from the images, and was found to be typically between 10 to 60 μm.
Authors
E.A. Veraverbeke, B. Nicolaï, P. Van Oostveldt, J. De Baerdemaeker
Keywords
Jonagold, confocal microscopy, raster electron microscopy, wax
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