Shannon LJ Bayliss
  • Home
  • Science
  • Art
  • Species in Song
  • Contact

STOMATA

10/7/2020

0 Comments

 
This is a photograph of a leaf  surface of a narrowleaf cottonwood (​Populus angustifolia) taken under a light microscope (at...checking lab notebook for level of magnification...). All you need to get imprints of leaf surfaces is glass microscope slides, transparent scotch tape, and clear nail polish. 
Picture
The prominent oval shapes in the photograph are stomata (singular: stoma). Stomata are pores that let stuff in and out of the leaf. In other words, they control the movement of gases in and out of the leaf (carbon dioxide used for photosynthesis and water out via transpiration). Variation in the size, the number, and the location (top or bottom of leaf) of stomata on leaf surfaces are a few ways that plants can control water loss, and thus are important to plant function.

Trivia: Do plants typically have a higher density of stoma on the top or the bottom surface of their leaves?

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Let's see, shall we.

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    October 2020
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Science
  • Art
  • Species in Song
  • Contact