Plant Structure: Leaf

Plant Structure: Leaf
SpartkNotes.com

Leaf
Leaves contain chlorophyll and are the sites of photosynthesis in plants. Their broad, flattened surfaces gather energy from sunlight while apertures on the their undersides bring in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The cells of a leaf are sandwiched in between two layers of epidermal cells, which provide the leaf with a waxy, nearly impermeable cuticle that protects against water loss. The only way for gases to diffuse in and out of the leaf is though small openings on the underside of the leaf, the stomata. These stomata can open and close according to the plant's needs. The tissues of the leaf in between the epidermal cells, into which gases diffuse from the stomata, are called mesophyll.

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