Abstract
A modified procedure for the preparation of maize root tips for electron microscopy is described. The resultant ultrathin sections show organelles which conform in appearance to the lysosomes of animal tissue. A developmental sequence in the root cap cells is described, beginning with these organelles as electron dense bodies limited by a single membrane in young cells, and terminating with a small amount of compact residue, fragments of membrane, and associated electron-transparent areas in the outermost cells. Acid phosphatase activity is observed in all stages of the dense bodies, and esterase is localized within them in their later developmental stages. A latency in the deposition of lead phosphate as a result of acid phosphatase activity is reported. It is suggested that these dense bodies are plant lysosomes, and that the release of hydrolytic enzymes accompanies the senescence of the old root cap cells.
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