In Vivo X-Ray Fluorescence Microtomographic Imaging of Elements in Single-Celled Fern Spores

We have observed in vivo three-dimensional distributions of constituent elements of single-celled spores of the fern Adiantum capillus-veneris using an X-ray fluorescence computed microtomography method. The images of these distributions are generated from a series of slice data, each of which is acquired by a sample translation-rotation method. An incident X-ray microbeam irradiates the sample with a spot size of 1 μm. The high Ca concentration in the testa and the localized and overlapping Fe and Zn concentrations inside the spore are shown in three-dimensional images. The K concentration is high throughout the cell, and there are localized regions of higher density. The atomic number densities of these elements in the testa and inside the cell in a tomographic slice are estimated with a resolution of about 1 μm