It is amazing that plants can produce and accumulate crystals. Many different types of plants can produce crystals, and the crystals can be produced in different parts of the plant, (leaves, stem, fruits...). . The composition and the shape of the crystals can be different depending on the plant species and the function of the crystals. In this case, the crystals you see in the video are calcium oxalate crystals, and are likely serving a protective role to the onion and the garlic bulbs. . It has been hypothesized that plants use different types of crystals for different reasons. For example, some plants can use crystals to store useful minerals that the plant may need, or to help reinforce the structure of the plant, or to prevent herbivores from eating the plant... . By the way, humans also produce different types of crystals. As a matter of fact, humans also produce calcium oxalate crystals. These types of crystals are produced in the urinary system and when they accumulate in excess, kidney or bladder stones (calculi) will be produced. . For this video I used an Olympus BX41 microscope at up to 1000x magnification, and polarized light.
#calciumoxalate #crystals #onion #garlic #microscopy #microscope #drbioforever