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 parenchyma cells are visible above and below the long fibers running across the center of the photograph. At the top of the photograph is the skin of the bamboo. The outermost layer of the skin stains dark blue because of its high lignin content. Inside that surface layer is a layer of dense cells that make up the tough outer skin of the bamboo.