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Photographic gallery.  Thousands of particles under the microscope.
Barley Starch Under the Microscope

Barley Starch

Transmitted Crossed Linear Polarized Light

Definition/Function:

Starch grains are are a means for plants to store energy. They are produced by a wide variety of plants and are a mixture of alpha-amylose and amylopectin. Starch grain differ in their size, their shape, and the structure of the center vacuole. Many of these differences are useful for the identification of the plant of origin for the starch grain.

Significance in the Environment:

Characteristic Features:

Associated Particles:

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starch
Martin, E.A., Dictionary of Life Sciences, 2nd ed., Pica Press