Document Type

Restricted

Advisor

T. Page Owen

Publication Date

2019

Abstract

The peristome, petiole, and lid of the genus Nepenthes of the Nepenthaceae family contain nectaries that play a fundamental role in the carnivorous plant's function to attract arthropods into the plant’s pitcher, where the digestive glands absorb the nutrients. These plants live in nutrient-poor environments, so this mechanism is necessary in order for the plant to obtain the necessary nutrients for its growth and development. Through the dissection of two Nepenthes species: Nepenthes glandulifera and N. ventricosa, this study aimed to compare the nectary glands, as well as analyze the cellular organelle structures located in the peristome, petiole, and lid. This analyses set out to explore the membrane transport that the species undergoes when it secretes nectar through analyzing the cellular ultrastructure of the nectaries. Through the use of a light microscope and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), it was observed that there was more secretion located in the petiole of the plant used in the study. Additionally, various other organelles in the plant were analyzed such as the cell wall, mitochondria, plastids, and Golgi apparatuses.

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The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.