The Nikon MicroscopyU confocal microscopy image gallery was created with a PCM-2000 confocal scanning system interfaced to a Nikon Eclipse E600 upright microscope. Images were recorded in successive z-axis serial sections with C-Imaging Systems software with excitation illumination provided by an argon-ion and/or a helium-neon laser.

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Cherry is the name given to several varieties of trees that produce small, almost heart-shaped globular edible fruits that vary in color from deep red to nearly black. The native habitat of the cherry is believed to be woodlands of Europe and Asia. Interestingly, the fragile cherry blossom was regarded by the Japanese samurai warrior as a symbol of his spirit. Although most varieties produce juicy fruits, a few cherry trees are cultivated purely for their clusters of beautiful flowers. In early spring, ornamental cherry trees covered in small white and pale pink blooms shed delicate petals, resembling soft flakes of snow, with the slightest breeze.

Cherries are one of the most commonly grown home orchard fruits in the world. Practically all of the 600 cultivated fruit varieties are descended from one of two ancestors: sweet cherries (Purnus avium) and sour or tart cherries (P. cerasus). These close relatives of peaches, apricots, and plums are classified as stone fruits because the fleshy moist pulp encloses a single hard stone that bears a seed. Trees bearing sweet cherries are stately and can grow upwards to 35 feet in height. However, trees that produce tart fruits are hardier and grow more easily than the sweet varieties.

Cherry trees require cold weather in order to blossom and typically yield ripened fruits in the month of July. Borne on clusters of relatively long flower stalks, cherries can range from pale yellow to dark red in color. Tart cherries contain greater amounts of hydrocyanic acid, which gives them a sour taste, and are usually frozen, canned, or baked in pies and pastries. Generally consumed fresh, sweet cherries are may also fermented to produce fruit brandies such as the European kirshwasser or cherry water.

Cherry trees also produce a very high quality wood that displays a lustrous finish when polished. The wood of the wild, black cherry is especially fine-grained having a dark red color and is prized as a high-end material for fine cabinetwork and furniture.