Cannabis Trichomes and Resin Glands

 Today's Knowledge Share:

Do you know about Cannabis Trichomes and Resin Glands?

Cannabis trichomes appear as sticky translucent whitish to amber resin on ripening cannabis flowers, leaves, and branches.

Trichomes may be made of hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. They grow on the appendages of plants, such as cannabis, as well as algae and lichens.

The production of trichomes can be observed in many species of plants throughout nature, taking on various physical forms as well as serving many different purposes. For example, trichomes found on some carnivorous plants aid in helping to catch prey.

In cannabis, trichomes function as a defense mechanism. When female cannabis plants begin to produce flowers in the wild, they often become vulnerable to various insects and animals as well as non-living environmental variables such as potentially harmful UV rays. Trichomes serve as a deterrent for animals because their bitter taste and strong aromas render cannabis flowers unpalatable. At the same time, they also serve a dual function in protecting their plants from damaging winds and even some varieties of fungal growth.

The majority of cannabinoids, including THC and CBD, are found in the resin glands with a spherical head on top of a short post or column.

Trichomes exist in many shapes and sizes, but there are three that appear most often on cannabis plants.

1)Bulbous trichomes ( 10-15 micrometers)

2)Capitate sessile trichomes (slightly larger and contain both a head and a stalk)

3)Capitate-stalked trichomes ( between 50-100 micrometers wide)

All three types of trichomes produce cannabinoids, though it is the capitate-stalked trichomes that will appear in abundance in and around the calyxes of budding flowers, producing the highest concentration of essential oils due to their size.

Typically, the more intense the density of capitate-stalked resin glands will yield more THC and CBD. The cannabinoid-rich resin can be consumed as dried and cured flowers, or separated from the plant and made into concentrates, including rosin, dry-sieve hash, BHO, shatter, etc.