摘要：The capacity of maize to absorb and transport water, nutrients and mechanical properties depends on anatomical structures within the stem internodes and nodes and their co-ordination. However, most descriptions of stem anatomical structure are limited to two-dimensional (2-D) cross-sections, providing hardly any information on Threedimensional (3-D) spatial relationships. 3-D reconstruction and visualization of stem anatomical structures can illustrate spatial co-ordination among cells and tissues and provide new insights and understanding of the inter-relation between structure and function. In order to reconstruct and repeatedly characterize 3-D spatial organization of stem of maize, here, through classical paraffin serial-section methods, adaptive image registration methods was used for the registration of consecutive slice images to analyze spatial relationships among phloem, xylem vessels, and vascular bundle sheath in stem nodes of maize. With the 3-D reconstruction and visualization techniques developed here, the spatial relationships between different vascular bundles in stem nodes can be described. We conclude that paraffin section imaging combined with 3-D visualization of plant tissues has important practical significance and application prospects to classify and identify features of plant tissues, and will good for better understanding the interdependence of internal structures and physiological functions.
关键词：Maize;node of stem;vascular bundles;3-D reconstruction;3-D visualization
