Zea Root Tip Under the Microscope (Longitudinal Section)
Zea Root Tip (Longitudinal Section), Zea mays
This is a lengthwise section through the tip of a corn root, stained with safranin. It shows the zones of a growing root, from the protective cap to the region where cells divide and stretch.
This longitudinal section of a maize (Zea mays) root apex provides a classic view of monocot root apical development and primary tissue organization. At the distal terminal apex lies a protective root cap (calyptra) composed of parenchyma cells that shield the delicate apical meristem from mechanical abrasion as the root navigates through the soil substrate. Immediately proximal to the root cap is the apical meristem, characterized by dense clusters of actively dividing, thin-walled meristematic cells exhibiting condensed chromatin and mitotic figures. Further proximal along the longitudinal axis, the section transitions into the zone of elongation and zone of maturation, where cell expansion drives linear growth and primary tissues begin differentiating into the central vascular cylinder, surrounding cortex, and outer protoderm/epidermal layer.
What to look for
- Root cap: A cap of cells covering the tip that protects the root as it pushes through soil.
- Meristem: Small, tightly packed cells just behind the cap, where cells divide.
- Dividing cells: Cells with dark-stained chromosomes, caught in mitosis, within the meristem.
- Zone of elongation: Farther back, cells become longer as they stretch.
- Developing tissues: Rows of cells forming the future epidermis, cortex, and central vascular tissue.
At each magnification
Low power (about 4x)
The rounded root tip with its cap and rows of cells behind it.
Medium power (about 10x)
Small, dense meristem cells near the tip and longer cells farther back.
High power (about 40x)
Individual dividing cells with condensed chromosomes, stained pink to red.
Questions and answers
What are the zones of a root tip?
A root tip has a root cap at the end, then a zone of cell division (the meristem), then a zone of elongation where cells stretch, and finally a zone of maturation where cells become specialized tissues.
What does the root cap do?
The root cap protects the delicate meristem as the root grows through the soil. Its outer cells wear off and are replaced, and it also helps the root sense gravity so it grows downward.
- Category
- Botany & Plants
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- Safranin
- Tags
- Zea mays root tip, Zea mays, maize root tip, corn root apex, root tip longitudinal section, root apical meristem
Viewing this slide in class
This is a scan of a real prepared slide, not a simulation or a drawing. On StudyScope you can pan from the whole slide down to individual structures, always in focus, and measure them in real micrometers with the calibrated ruler. Present it live and every student screen follows your view and annotations. Students join with a room code on Chromebooks, iPads, or any browser, with no accounts.