The Foldscope specimen was plucked from a decaying leaf on a tree outside of Guyot Hall. Given the lack of leaves on nearby trees at the time of collection and the wilted appearance of the leaf, it was difficult to identify the species of the plant from which the leaf was grown. The tree is likely to be an import given its sole presence in front of the academic building and the general aestheticized landscape of campus. Regardless of whether the tree is native or not, it is interesting to think about the microscopic signature of distinct leaf species. When observed at a great magnitude, leaves are indistinguishable to the eye—they become patterns of molecules that somehow piece together to create macroscopic differences. Of course, this is from an amateur’s perspective, but I do wonder how plants can create such diversity from the same source of basic materials—nitrogen, phosphorous, photons, water. Animal biodiversity is a little more intuitive. Animals consume certain organisms that confer upon them particular building blocks from which they can grow. In other words, the ingredients of each animal species’ meal are different, but somehow the ingredients, when reduced to the primary producer level, all start off using the same resources.
 
After this observation of a simple leaf, I wonder if budding leaf cells look similar across plant species or if, even at the start, each species generates a unique microscopic profile. What would it look like if there were a parasite living within the leaf? What dictates there being more space between molecules in some places rather than others? Can some species change the fundamental qualities of their leaves (amount of cuticle, edge texture, etc.) over time?
 

I conducted this project as part of Professor Pringle’s EEB321 class at Princeton University.