Lesson 1
Tubes full of milky juice
Laticifers are cells, or rows of cells, that make and store latex. Latex is a milky liquid. It is often white, but in some plants it is yellow or orange.
There are two main kinds:
- One giant cell that grows longer and longer as the plant grows, and can branch. These can be some of the longest cells in a plant.
- Chains of cells joined end to end. The walls between them break down, making one long tube.
Dandelions, milkweed, poppies, fig trees, lettuce, and rubber trees all have laticifers.
Lesson 2
A sticky shield
The latex inside laticifers is under pressure. When a leaf or stem gets cut or bitten, latex oozes out fast.
- It can gum up the mouths of insects that are chewing on the plant.
- Some latex tastes bad or is poisonous, which keeps animals away.
- It gets thick and sticky in the air, helping seal the wound.
Try thisPress Cut the stem on the 3D model and watch the latex come out. In real life, never taste plant latex, and wash your hands if you touch it. Some kinds can bother your skin and eyes.
Wow!Natural rubber is made from the latex of the rubber tree. People collect it by making careful cuts in the bark, and it can be used to make things like balloons and tires!