Leaf Tissue Organization

Leaf Tissue Organization
by Michael W. Davidson
Florida State University

Leaf Tissue Organization
The plant body is divided into several organs: roots, stems, and leaves. The leaves are the primary photosynthetic organs of plants, serving as key sites where energy from light is converted into chemical energy. Similar to the other organs of a plant, a leaf is comprised of three basic tissue systems, including the dermal, vascular, and ground tissue systems. These three motifs are continuous throughout an entire plant, but their properties vary significantly based upon the organ type in which they are located. All three tissue systems are illustrated in Figure 1, which is a cutaway drawing of a typical leaf.

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