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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #76899
Title: THE USE OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN PLANT SCIENCE.

Author
item FAUST, MIKLOS - RETIRED - ARS
item WANG, PAUL - HOWARD UNIVERSITY
item Maas, John

Submitted to: Horticultural Reviews
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/20/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Review article. No Interpretive Summary required.

Technical Abstract: This review of the use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in plant science discusses the applications of this relatively new technology with respect to various aspects of plant research. MR imaging is a very powerful tool for nondestructively investigating physiological phenomena and internal structures in vivo and without prior preparation to the tissues. It affords unique opportunities to study plant processes as they occur in real time without affecting the physiological processes. Included in the review is a discussion of the theory of MR imaging and of several imaging techniques. The advantages and limitations of the various MR imaging techniques are applied in discussions of imaging of seeds, dormant and growing buds, flowers, fungal colonization of plant tissues, detection of physiological disorders and maturity changes of fruit, roots in soil, water flow in tissues, and tissue characteristics that cause effects regarded as artifacts. As with other technologies, MR imaging has its limitations and these also are presented.