Image of the month - March

This is a scanning electron micrograph of a leaf of goose grass, with a photograph of the plant at upper left. This common weed, Latin name Galium aparine, is covered with small hooked hairs, highlighted in red in the image. These hooks help the plant to attach itself to other plants as it grows. The seeds are also covered with hooks, which become attached to animals and thus dispersed. The SEM image was taken by a work experience student, Mimi Shah, from Reading College, who spent a week at EMLab in February.