ABSTRACT
Many optical non-invasive methods for monitoring of plant tissue are currently being developed. Recently, new non-destructive methods providing structural maps i.e., images of tissues of plants and animals, have been reported. Confocal, two-and multiphoton microscopy are very promising methods for plant physiology research (Haseloff, 1999). Some of the non-invasive methods vizualization, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence microscopy (OCM) are used for in vivo visualization of plant tissue (Hittinger et al 2000, Sapozhmikan et al., 2004). In the last decade, OCT had been extensively used in medical studies to see the epithelium, connective tissue and their internal structures (glands, vessels) (Sergeev et al., 1997, Gladkova et al., 1999, Kamensky et al., 1999). Many pathological processes (such as dysplasia and cancer), alter typical structures of tissue and these alterations can be detected by OCT (Gladkova et al., 1999, Sergeev et al., 1997). This imaging technique ensures high resolution and performs in vivo observation (monitoring) of the physiological state and features of intra-tissular structures in humans (Kamensky et al., 1999). Lately, the OCT technique has been used to study
plant tissues and monitoring of intratissular changes in plants (Sapozhnikova et al., 2004). The non-destructive image tissue control performed in real time might be helpful to evaluate the ecophysiological state of plants affected by external and internal factors. This information is necessary for deeper understanding of the mechanisms of plant adaptation under influence of changing environmental conditions.
