Detection of complex vascular system in bamboo node by X-ray μCT imaging technique

Abstract

Bamboo is one of the world's fastest growing plants. They reach a final height of 15-40 m during a period of 40-120 days. The full height is reached by intercalary growth of each node. However, it is very difficult to detect the complex vascular system in a bamboo node using traditional methods. X-ray computed microtomography (μCT) is a noninvasive novel approach to the three-dimensional (3D) visualization and quantification of biological structures. In the present article, μCT has been applied to provide insights into the internal structure of bamboo node, where three branches are connected. The picture obtained could hardly be obtained by any other means. The bamboo nodal characteristics of three transverse and axial sections are presented. The complex 3D network of vascular bundles has been directly obtained for the first time.

Bamboo particle reinforced polypropylene composites made from different fractions of bamboo culm: Fiber characterization and analysis of composite properties

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Tensile behaviour and fracture mechanism of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens)

“…CT scanned parameters were as follows: distance from sample to detector: 25 cm; pixel size: 3.7 μm; and exposure time: 4 s. For each acquisition, 1800 projection images over 180° were taken. The projected images at each time point of dissolution were reconstructed by the software developed by SSRF (Shanghai, China) to perform a direct filtered backprojection algorithm (Shen et al 2011;Peng et al 2014).…”

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“…Similar information is not yet available for rattan stems. In general, the study of single fiber and other structural details of bamboo with regard to spatial distribution is more advanced (Yu et al 2011;Peng et al 2014;Wang et al 2014) than that of rattan.…”