Microscopy Primer
Light and Color
Microscope Basics
Special Techniques
Digital Imaging
Confocal Microscopy
Live-Cell Imaging
Photomicrography
Microscopy Museum
Virtual Microscopy
Fluorescence
Web Resources
License Info
Image Use
Custom Photos
Partners
Site Info
Contact Us
Publications
Home

The Galleries:

Photo Gallery
Silicon Zoo
Pharmaceuticals
Chip Shots
Phytochemicals
DNA Gallery
Microscapes
Vitamins
Amino Acids
Birthstones
Religion Collection
Pesticides
BeerShots
Cocktail Collection
Screen Savers
Win Wallpaper
Mac Wallpaper
Movie Gallery

Polarized Light Microscopy Digital Image Gallery

Flax Fibers

Flax is the common name of plants in the family Linaceae, which have been cultivated for thousands of years for their fiber, also termed flax. An herbaceous annual, signs of its use have even been discovered in Switzerland in abodes inhabited by prehistoric man.

Flax plants that yield the best fiber are grown in moist, cool conditions in high densities so that the woody stems become tall and slender, rather than short and branching. When harvested, the fiber of the plants is obtained through a series of processes that begins with deseeding and is followed by retting, which involves soaking the flax in water for several days in order to soften and separate the fibers through partial rotting. The fibers are then dried and scutched, or beaten, before they are hackled, or combed, to separate the short, coarse flax (called tow) from the long, fine flax. The long flax fibers are typically spun into thread and woven into fine linen, while the short-fibered tow is often utilized as coarse yarn, cordage, and padding in upholstery.

Linen made from high quality flax fibers is a remarkable material, which has been appreciated by many civilizations throughout history, including the ancient Egyptians who used it, among other things, to wrap mummies. Beautiful to behold due to its smoothness and lustrous sheen, the popular textile is also highly practical because it is absorbent, strong, durable, and resistant to microbial activity. Linen possesses exceptional heat conducting capabilities as well, which helps keep people who wear it as clothing cool during warm summers. The material is, however, subject to frequent wrinkling and cannot be readily dyed, though it may be bleached.


BACK TO THE FIBERS GALLERY

BACK TO THE POLARIZED LIGHT GALLERY

Questions or comments? Send us an email.
© 1998-2022 by Michael W. Davidson and The Florida State University. All Rights Reserved. No images, graphics, scripts, or applets may be reproduced or used in any manner without permission from the copyright holders. Use of this website means you agree to all of the Legal Terms and Conditions set forth by the owners.
This website is maintained by our
Graphics & Web Programming Team
in collaboration with Optical Microscopy at the
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
Last modification: Friday, Nov 13, 2015 at 02:19 PM
Access Count Since November 20, 2003: 17897
For more information on microscope manufacturers,
use the buttons below to navigate to their websites: