Transpiration and the leaf

Edited by Jamie (ScienceAid Editor), Taylor (ScienceAid Editor), SmartyPants, MaxScience

The Leaf

Below is a cross section of a leaf. This is what you would see if you looked down the leaf towards the stem.



The guard cells control the entry of carbon dioxide through the stomata by opening and closing. Therefore they close at night - reducing water loss.

  1. 1
    Shape
    .
    The long, thin shape of the leaf provides maximum surface area for receiving light.
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  2. 2
    Cuticle
    .
    The waxy cuticle on the top of the leaf protects it from the elements and also prevents water from escaping.
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  3. 3
    Palisade layer
    .
    Cells have a lot of chloroplasts (containing chlorophyll) in them - making the most of the conditions high in light on the top of the leaf.
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  4. 4
    Veins
    .
    Phloem carry sugar and amino acids, and xylem carry water and mineral ions from the roots.
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Transpiration

For more information on this subject see water in plants.

Transpiration is the movement of water molecules through the plant - up from the roots, through Xylem vessels and evaporating out through the stomata in the leaves.

Certain conditions affect the rate of transpiration.

  1. 1
    Temperature
    .
    If it is warm, water is lost because of the increased movement of the molecules.
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  2. 2
    Wind Velocity
    .
    The wind will blow away molecules near the stomata.
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  3. 3
    Humidity
    .
    Moisture in the air will slow down water loss because the concentration gradient is small.
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Questions and Answers

Are there any plants with leaves that emit all or most of their oxygen only from one side?

Are there any plants with leaves that emit all or most of their oxygen only from one side? Are there any plants with leaves that accept all or most of their carbon dioxide only on one side ?. Are there any plants with leaves that emit all or most of their oxygen only from one side? This message board keeps asking for details.

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Yes, they pretty much all do.

Leaves contain chlorophyll and are the locales of photosynthesis in plants. Their expansive, leveled surfaces assemble vitality from daylight while openings on their undersides acquire carbon dioxide and discharge oxygen. The cells of a leaf are sandwiched in the middle of two layers of epidermal cells, which give the leaf a waxy, almost impermeable fingernail skin that ensures against water misfortune. The main path for gasses to diffuse all through the leaf is through little openings on the underside of the leaf, the stomata. These stomata can open and close as indicated by the plant's needs. The tissues of the leaf in the middle of the epidermal cells, into which gasses diffuse from the stomata, are called mesophyll.

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Transpiration and the leaf. (2017). In ScienceAid. Retrieved Mar 29, 2024, from https://scienceaid.net/biology/plants/transpiration.html

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Article Info

Categories : Plants

Recent edits by: SmartyPants, Taylor (ScienceAid Editor), Jamie (ScienceAid Editor)

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