How It Works

Global eye

FACES IN LEAVES

At first glance this image might look like an abstract painting of a queue of people, but in actuality this) leaf. Found in coastal areas on sand dunes, the survival of this species of grass is dependent on its ability to optimally intake water and store it. Marram grass traps moist air into its leaves, collecting water through the hair-like structures and moving it throughout the plant through the xylem vessels (green). Using a microscope technique called incident fluorescence with ultraviolet excitation, this image distinguishes between the xylem vessels and sugar-carrying phloem (blue) to reveal the grass’s delicate, yet eerie internal structure.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from How It Works

How It Works2 min read
All About scooters
In the UK, non-commercial electric kick scooters can only be ridden on private land The first motorised scooter was called the Autoped. It looked very similar to today’s electric kick scooters, but ran on gas with an engine attached to the front whee
How It Works2 min read
What Are Sand Dollars?
Sand dollars are small marine invertebrates that live on the seafloor. The 11 sand dollar species are disc-shaped and have an average diameter between seven and ten centimetres. Most of the time these animals are submerged underwater, but they someti
How It Works3 min read
The World’s Coolest Concept Car
In 2020, Mercedes-Benz revealed one of the most unique concept cars in the world. Shattering any preconceived ideas of how a car can operate, the all-electric VISION AVTR looks like something out of a science-fiction film. To create the VISION AVTR,

Related Books & Audiobooks