Uses of NMR Imaging for Research in Plant Physiology

核磁共振成像在植物生理学研究中的应用：核磁共振成像（MRI）在医学诊断和研究中的用途已经确立。它在研究植物生理学方面同样有用，特别是在需要非破坏性地监测活组织含水量随时间变化的情况下。分辨率和清晰度的提高使得在微观和宏观层面上获得良好的图像成为可能。要调查的主题包括：从土壤到根系的水分运动；水分从根部向干燥土壤的流出；根系收缩对水分吸收的影响水分在根系中的径向运动；在干燥和再水化过程中，水分向叶片和木质部的运动发生了变化。这个提议有可能明确回答几十年来只回答了一半的许多问题。核磁共振成像在作物科学和农业研究中有许多潜在的应用。由此获得的知识可以很容易地引导新的杂交品种的开发和筛选。

Use of NMR Imaging for Research in Plant Physiology: The usefulness of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been established in medical diagnosis and research. It should be equally useful in studying plant physiology especially where it is desireable to monitor non-destructively the changes in water content of living tissue over time. Improvements in resolution and definition now make it possible to obtain good images at the microscopic as well as the macroscopic level. Subjects to be investigated include: water movement from soil to roots; efflux of water from roots to dry soil; effects of root shrinkage on water absorption; radial movement of water in roots; water movements to leaves and xylem changes in water during drying and rehydration. The proposal has the potential of answering definitively many questions that have been only half answered for several decades. The application of MRI has many potential applications in crop science and in agricultural research. The knowledge acquired, thereby, could easily lead to the development and screening of novel hybrids.