BY ROB DUNN
IMAGES BY
MARTIN OEGGERLI
ILLUMINATING THE MYSTERIES—AND WONDERS—ALL AROUND US EVERY DAY
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC VOL. 236 NO. 3EXPLORE
IN THIS SECTION
A Flashy Courtship
Critters on Camera
Love and HuntingThe microscopic parts that give
herbs and spices their flavors
are often the plants’ defenses.
IN HOPES OF SEEING why a peppercorn
tastes peppery, Antonie van Leeuwen-
hoek (1632-1723) soaked one in water and
put it under a microscope. The Dutch sci-
entist imagined that its taste came from
tiny spikes or darts. Instead, he saw tiny
ridged spheres—and tiny moving organ-
isms, the first bacteria ever observed.
Van Leeuwenhoek, aka the father
of microbiology, glimpsed a world in
the 17th century that photographer-
scientist Martin Oeggerli explores
today in far greater detail. Oeggerli
made images of herbs and spices with
a scanning electron microscope, then
enhanced the plants’ parts with color.
Some of the parts are both factories and
silos, containing chemicals that we taste
and smell when we use these herbs.
The flavors of herbs are their
arsenal. Since prehistoric times, the
chemicals of an herb have evolved in
response to the threats that the plant
must contend with. Some plants are
better defended against slugs, others
against sheep. In van Leeuwenhoek’s
peppercorn, the heat of compounds
called piperines discourages insects
from eating the plant. In many herbs,
we find hints of the species against
which the herb protected itself; in oth-
ers, we still find mysteries.
SAFFRON
CROCUS SATIVUS
Some 150 compounds in
the Crocus sativus flow-
er’s stigma give saffron
its pungent taste and
haylike fragrance. These
compounds, including
safranal, likely evolved
to attract pollinators.THESE IMAGES WERE MADE WITH A SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE, WHICH USES BEAMS OF ELECTRONS TO TRACE THE
SURFACES OF OBJECTS. THE RESULT: MAGNIFIED, BLACK-AND-WHITE IMAGES THAT OEGGERLI ENHANCES WITH COLOR.30