The new year brought a whole new batch of new guesses for our mystery image. From fossils to bones and even the intestines of a sea creature. We have to confess that we were tricky this time. This is handmade paper. That is a good question.
Most paper is made from plant material.
We usually see paper that is made from tree pulp. Before pulp-based paper, most paper was made from cotton rags. This is an scanning electron picture of a handmade paper made from barrel cactus. The curly tube-like things are called xylem. Xylem - is the transport system for water and minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant.