Timber Bamboo Longitudinal Section

This is an image from a stained standard section of Timber bamboo. It has been stained with safranin and astra blue. Safranin stains the cellulose red and astra blue stains the lignin blue. The cells in the lower part of the photograph are parenchyma cells. Most of the parenchyma cells are the long variety but the short parenchyma cells are scattered through the image. They tend to have a darker cell wall because they contain more lignin. The long fibers are just above the center of the photograph. The blue band above that are the cells forming the vessel wall. The upper part of the photograph is one of the vessels.