We wondered what the white latex of a Ficus plant would look like under a Foldscope. Here is the experiment in 5 short videos

Video 1/5: Latex in Ficus elongatus.

Video 2/5. We spread the latex onto the slide. We had two slides, one in which we really stirred the latex and the other we just dropped the latex.

Video 3/5 Latex under the Foldscope with the LED light source.

Video 4/5 Latex under the Foldscope with a Table lamp as the light source.

Video 5/5 What might happen if we drop some Latex on an ant?

About 14% of tropical plants secrete latex. From sealing breaks in leaves and defending plants from insects and herbivores, to making rubber tires and chewing gum, Latex is an integral part of our modern lives. What might those particles be made of?  Could we compare this across different plant species using a Foldscope.

Happy 4th for those in the US.

Aditi and Laks

-DC Micronauts

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