Exploring the fascinating development of cannabinoid-producing trichomes - Zamir Punja, PhD
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Tags: cultivation, potency, cannabinoids, terpene, resin, cannabis growing, yield, harvest
Zamir Punja presents “Exploring the fascinating development of cannabinoid-producing trichomes in cannabis flowers” at CannMed 2022.
Glandular trichomes produced on bracts of female inflorescences of THC-containing plants are known to produce cannabinoids. What are the details of how these structures develop ? The fascinating process of capitate stalked trichome development was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Two strains- Moby Dick and Space Queen - were compared at 3 weeks and 6 weeks of the flowering period. Four morphologically distinct trichome types will be shown: nonglandular hairs (stacoliths) and three glandular (secretory) forms -pedicillate bulbous (15-30 um in diameter), sessile peltate (30-45 um in diameter) and capitate (40-85 um in diameter) that were stalked or sessile. The stalked capitate trichomes are formed in greater numbers on lower compared to upper bract surfaces, and at higher frequency on Space Queen compared to Moby Dick as maturity of the inflorescence progressed. Trichome glands increased in volume with maturity and resin was secreted through cracks or tears in the surrounding cuticle, resulting in collapse of the trichome gland. Dried buds of four cannabis strains showed varying trichome densities, stages of development, trichome stalk length, and degree of gland dehiscence. These findings may be extrapolated to develop a method to estimate trichome gland maturity to optimize cannabinoid levels at harvest.
I have been taking pictures of trichomes with microscopes for like 15 years. But Wow these pictures are phenomenal amazing stuff doc.
@@Bombarded1n this is about real weed not no detla 8 shit
@@_cspr delta 8 is hemp, not cannabis 😂
@@borbleborb4586 im well aware lol
@@_cspr just sayin that’s a weird thing to pull outta nowhere lmao
@@borbleborb4586 superstrain is a delta 8 brand, why i said it to the guy talkin about superstrains for whatever reason
Some of those magnified images belong on a wall as posters, beautiful
I actually have a 12 month calendar made up. Each month is a different trichome photo ! Pretty awesome as you wait for the next months image to show up !
@@zamirpunja1978 You should sell them!
True to that fr, my friend.
Great stuff. I just love it when the former hippie plant becomes scientifically explored. Keep em coming!
Former hippie plant wow so ignorant
The first “acid test” grateful dead shows were the first attempt at a “Meta-verse” where they provide you with their version of reality, they’re bohemian grove members
When a former hippie plant what other hippie plants you talking about?
@@williambarringer6513 Please elaborate
but GAWD gave us this plant and the evil goobermint stole it from us
Hot Crust Buns! I love the science and research going on, and the fact that there is some much left to discover.
I watched this video in the morning drinking my coffee. Had a good laugh when he used hot crust buns to describe two bulbs stuck together 😂😂
The most intelligent and beneficial plant on the earth!
Banisteriopsis caapi says 'hello'
Beautifully detailed trichome presentation 💚🙏
Who is going to be the hero who captures a microscopic time-lapse of trichomes growing/maturing. He'll get the nobel prize
Me
Get a university research grant
Doubtful
What about finding a way to make to increase the amount or quality of trichomes
Yeah I’ve been waiting on that since I’ve been a kid and first learned what trichromes are. It’s been close to a decade. If I could’ve grew, growing up, would’ve been from me homies. 😂😂
This is one part of the future that I am loving!
The visuals really helped me grasp the concept better. Incredible research and breakdown here, thank you for this!
what a wonderful, thourough and educative video!! It wouldve been nice to see how different the trichomes differ im a Sativa/Imdica..but seriously as a seasoned cannabis grower this just blew my mind. I learned so much more about trichomes!!! and cannabis itself.. best video ever! subbed!!
"Educative" 🤔
@@Armistead_MacSkye 🤡
Wow this was sooo amazing. Thank you so much for this presentation
My main english is not even english, im a biology student, you speak so easily and so precise, and the images are fabulous!! Thank you so much!!
Thank you very much for the pictures and information.
Amazing images, looking forward to seeing the science of cannabis growing.
Tremendous and interesting exploration, as a grower I have always been impressed by the cannabis plant and how intelligent its whole structure is, of course all plants have amazing systems, but cannabis has that special susbstance, I have taken very good pictures of the trichomes when the plants are in the sun and these trichomes in the telescope look great, from now on I will follow the channel because I got very good information from this video.
You mean scanning electron microscope 😀
@@websurfer5772 (slow clap) thank you!!! this isnt the same as using a jewelers loupe to check if harvest ready or using a 1000x to check for other things or just see progress this is an electron microscope something the vast majority of us will never have access to so value that aspect also its an amazing machine
Once in a while the work seems quite noticeable, IMO that's one rare sample right here.
Amazing video! I really appreciate you breaking down the structures so thoroughly. You mentioned the enzymes in the trichomes that manufacture terpenes and cannabinoids, and I was wondering you knew any papers or research that went into detail about that? How plants manufacture chemicals like these has been fascinating to me for awhile, and I hope to do research on it in the near future. Thank you again!
Have you heard of google? or incapable of reading and doing basic research...
@@jakelooter5139 why the need to be so condescending? I have looked it up before, and since leaving this comment I have researched it quite a lot. I was just asking for help from professionals, whose whole channel is dedicated to sharing information on cannabis.
@@adultpersonman4612Jakelooter needs a big fat doobie to calm them down.
WOW!!! Spectacular!
Extremely fascinating.
Can't wait to see more development on this.
Great video. Very educational..love tge the electron microscope images..thx fir sharing
Experience is your best teacher! Go for it!
Holy trichomes Batman. Wow wow wow
Thank you very much for the science and for sharing information.
Thank you for making this video. Such beautiful photos.
There is a story from the Dogon tribe that says cannabis was a gift to the earth from beings that are from the Canis star system. And looking at this beautiful SEM pictures of the Trichomes it's easy to believe! .. it's worth remembering that that Tribe were able to describe star systems and constellations a looooong time before humans knew about them. Makes you wonder where they got that info. 🤔
Thoth the Atlantean, maybe?
Amazing. Thank you so much for the information and the images
Very intersting. Great images and information
Wow, thank you for summing it up so nice.
Nice work. You’ve answered several questions that have been swirling around my head. Great images too.
Outstanding presentation, excellent and interesting.
fascinating lecture. love this incredible plant
Can you do a video like this for Psilocybe Cubensis? Another completely beautiful organism with such powerful molecules ❤️
yes to shrooms 💯
nature has the BEST molecules, man
Learning is wonderful!
Masterpiece, I loved your research
One of its kind
Wow! Thanks! Amazing info. More please!
Very well done. Thank you. Look forward to more info from you. 😊
I wonder what they did with "The study material" after because it looks amazing.
This was very informative, thank you for posting.
very informative, super awesome! thank you for this
Very cool the electron microscope is wild! I do a lot of macros of flowers and buds but not this close!
Thanks for sharing this.
Awesome talk! Great images!
Excellent!
Excellent talk! I am a molecular virologist and geneticist turning his eyes towards cannabis research...
Can you please tell me, has any scientist ever actually seen a virus? I'm dying to know.
Also, has anyone ever seen a double-helix, twisted, DNA molecule?
pretty well done.... full of knowledge to get the right education.......thank you very much ......
absolutely wonderful work
Excellent video!
you have such a clear way of communicating this information to us, this is why i love scientists their minds work with such conscientiousness
Thank you this was Great!
Thank you for the presentation and sharing your knowledge
I was already pretty familiar with the structure with glandular trichome head and the capitate stalk. These images are absolutely amazing though. It really gives me an amazing real life window into what these structures look like up super close. Also shows me the reason why that no matter how well you isolate the heads, the resulting hash will never quite melt down to no solid residue. Even with perfectly isolated heads, you still have those stipe cells and secretory cells on the underside that are not going to be melty. Even if you find a crazy mutation where those cells are super small, I'm guessing they'll still take up at least 10% of structure of the head. Which is why you can never get 100% melty product unless you blast it with butane or some other hydrocarbon, or press rosin out of it, to sort out the non-melty bits.
Holy wow is this the best thing I've seen in years. I love marijuana and I have a degree in plant science from Penn State! I love this stuff, thanks so much!!
This might be one of the most fluent compilation of images telling the story of plant architecture and biochemical activities in how they are related. I feel i have just watch the first version of the digital specimen standard. Delivery can be improved for broader audiences, but great for a botanical study.
Would have been interesting to compare outdoor, vs indoor trichomes!
I agree. I bet with the outdoor you would see many different dead insects that got stuck inside these trichomes
it could be awesome
Hi Carl - yes I have not looked at outdoor flowers to see the trichomes. They could look quite different, being exposed to different environmental stresses.
@@papacos4745 I get fruit flies on my buds which are indoor, outdoor UK not many pests but snails nibble a bt but thats ok, snails gotta eat too!
@@papacos4745 Yes like looking into amber
That was very interesting to listen to. Thank you very much.
wow absolutely AMAZING work, was extremely enjoyable to watch. Ill have images of degrading tricomes being burned into my brain as im lighting my bong 👏👏
I would think there are more glands on the bottom because gravity works for free.
The really long trichome stalks are prob just stretching up out of the forest for light? Fascinating slides. I didn't know there were tricomes that never develope heads. Thought I was being too rough in handling.
Great job, love you're video.
Im here from the Madame Cannoli live stream !!
Oh man can you imagine these growing in ours streets!! I would be a very happy dude.
The energy going into filling the globular trichomes with enzymes, cannabinoids and THC.. all part of the specie's propagation and survival strategy.
super cool! This makes me wonder how far we are away from some visual sensor that can tell us the moment at which the plant is fully developed and ready to harvest. That is the hardest part about being a home grower. Im never really sure if I am harvesting at the right time. Thank you for the presentation
What day of flowering are you harvesting?
Three basic stages of development based on visual cues: clear glandular heads means early in development, resulting in higher precursor compounds, milky are typically desired developmental stages for harvest in recreational application and denote a wider range of cannabinoid availability, and finally amber colored glandular heads will denote partial degradation of primary cannabinoids into things like CBN, which impart heavier affects commonly associated with extreme-case medicinal uses, such as alleviating cancer patient suffering or combatting insomnia. On second thought, a mix of amber and milky glandular heads are probably most ideal for extreme case medicinal use, as CBG is recommended for aiding symptoms associated with glaucoma, thca and D9thc are found to be anti-fungal/antibacterial and CBD is, in conjunction with THC compounds, considered beneficial for their anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting potential.
This is a generalization and, by far, not the entirety of the subject knowledge/application potential, but I wanted to be brief for simplicity's sake.
The "hairs" or more accurately, stigmas, will turn orange as the virility of the female components degrade and aren't necessarily correlated with trichome development, in that they won't tell you about cannabinoid development as accurately as glandular head coloration will (to the best of my knowledge).
Joshua, experiment by clipping off a couple buds at timed intervals, carefully drying/curing the buds, keeping track of what each buds trichomes looked like when you clipped them. You can then compare clear, milky, and amber.
I am pretty sure the "greenhouse" farm he shows in this video is the inside of District Cannabis in Maryland. This is my favorite facility that i have ever seen, highly advanced and a star in the world of automation and efficiency. At their grow if you can have a reader for it to accurately track any level they have it. They are truly a star in their mindfulness and resourcefulness.
Very good presentation.
🙏
Thank you, Doctor! I love this stuff!
Thankyou Zamir Punja for this Excellent Presentation,Loved it :)
excellent presentation
I can't help but wonder what evolutionary pressure or benefit caused the plant to develop the trichomes?
Afaik the trichomes are a natural shield/reflector against radiation.
The plant comes originally from the Nepal/Hindukush area. Means, she had to fight the radiation of the sun for propably millions of years. In my opinion it is some kind of a natural evolutionary developed shield against UV and other to biological lifeforms hazardous radiations (be it from the ultra short or ultra long spectrum of light). Well, that is at least what i got from reading deep into it back in the days. I was already growing in the 90s, and i remember that we already had studies from scientists floating around at that time. Cant remember specific names, but i definitely know that science researched that already 20-30 years ago. If i remember an article or scientific paper about it, then ofc i will add it here as comment.
@@insideaero7660 You know, that make perfect sense, there would have to be a shading effect from the quantity. Thanks!
God
seed protection OBVIOUSLY they are extremely coveted by animals for food.
Outstanding work, sir.
Superb imagery
Wow incredible pictures. I was imagining myself as a miniature man walking around this alien trichome atmosphere
This was super neat and informative.
Awesome video! Some much great info.
This was great!
This was a very fascinating video
Thank you ❤️
Tres bien. Thank you.
amazing indeed!
Awesome video thank you
Beautyfull.....enlightening......new.....deserving of a big screen view,.......also...how about a video of it growing?
I Would I like to see as a agronomist and horticulturist that some of hybrids be used in the landscape industry. Of course without the THC . But still provide the colors and fragrance. Unlike flowers and other flowering plants, cannabis holds its fragrance for almost the life of the plant . Something to think about
it quickly and aggressively chokes out all other species though which makes gardening somewhat difficult.
Thc is the best part!
Cbd flowers dude
no it doesnt. it doesnt even smell until near the end, when the terpene profile changes daily and weekly. Why no THC? As a "horticulturist" LOL you should know, that it is the SAME SPECIES Cannabis sativa, ie NO HYBRIDS genetically. all of you fake scientists on here trying to look intelligent because you are pseudointellectuals w barely above average IQs...and know it. No one cares what you want to see either FYI...
@@nickhowatson4745 no it doesnt most weeds will overtake it in a fertile environment...
Very cool! Answered a lot of questions I’ve had!
Awesome 👍🏽
Fantastic video. I am trying to find out more information on the production of the Terpenes and other Cannabinoids. And how does each plant develop the DIFFERENT Terpenes? Everything about this plant is extraordinary.
Fantastic thanks a lot !!!
Very interesting science behind cannabis
Thank you
Seeing those pics makes me giggle with joy!
awesome incredible beautiful
Yes I was *fascinated* computers will bring us the best cannabis ever. Thanks Mr. Z. Punja
excellent and concise presentation...high end and well researched...wish you were a grower yourself...especially and outside grower...reasoning..perhaps your experience with weather and conditions would add interpretation to the standard 8 wk thing....awesome imaging and well thought out and comprehensive....the underside aspect of trichrome....manythxs4gr8research&sharing
This is Brilliant. Spliff time
nice video, thanks
Very cool to see at that magnification.
Imagine with colours. Microscopes can be cheap and i never had regrets buying mine, except for the mechanical support with no easy focus...
@@Egzoset everything at that magnification level is just amazing the world of the very small is just out this world it’s alive I’m interested in nano technology and life at this scale. We need to focus on this because it can really help us but it’s the tools 🛠️ to play with our nano world we also have to be very careful not to disturb it as it can cause massive problems like with gain of function research.🔬
might you publish the spectroscopy of the trichomes?
Very good, thank you for the education. I think it would be interesting to find out what differences there are between the aged triclome heads and fresh... the image of the dried head and separate stalk seamed to show tubes in the stalk and compartments in the base of the head. I am now fascinated to find out lol. Keep up the great work.
thanks
Re: trichome density on bottom. Maybe because insects tend to prefer the undersides of leaves. Just a guess. 22:02
Thanks!
Beautiful images! Most non-users don't get it I'm sure.
Great presentation, the SEM images are amazing. It would fantastic to have a system to measure trichome density. Trichomes per inch or millimeter (
There's a camera on amazon that does that, attaches to your cell phone. The "home version" basically of the advanced methods you'd be talking about. It estimates thc% based off AI/algorithm and amount of them in the photo. Couldn't say if it works, just wanted to mention it does exist just not quite at the level of a $30,000-1,000,000 scope haha
We did measure trichome density per mm square. They average around 10-12 per mm
@@B01 none of the amazon cameras will do even close to this, I have a quite a few of them LOL.
@@zamirpunja1978 That is fantastic!
@@savuthyen do close to what? What a $500,000 piece of equipment can do? Uhhh good thing we have you to let us know a $30-50 phone lens attachment doesn't perform the same as a scanning electron microscope 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣