Ultrastructural Responses of Pigeon Pea (Cajanus Cajan (L.)Millspaugh) and Maize (Zea Mays L.) Under Lead Toxicity

Abstract

Heavy metal lead (Pb) contamination in soil is highly toxic to living organisms and causesultrastructuralchanges in plants and crops. Our present study was aimed at observing lead (Pb) induced changes in roots of two crop plants (Pigeonpea and Maize) in the selected agricultural fields.The experimental result reveals some internal damage at high concentrations when compared with the control with increasing lead (Pb) concentration. The ultrastructural analysis is carried out by using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) studies showed changes in structure of the cell organelles such as shrinkage of nucleus and nucleolus, disappearance of endoplasmic reticulum and increase in vacuole size of T1 and T2 areas of the two crop plants were observed.