Looking at Leaves-Plant Growth Summative Flashcards
What are the three basic parts of a leaf that you can see?
Blades, Petrioles, veins
What does the blade look like?
Broad, flat section of the leaf
What do the petrioles look like?
Narrow stem-like part of the leaf.
What do the veins do?
Carry water and other substances throughout the plant.
What are the two parts of the leaf that you can’t see?
Stomata, Guard cells
Define the stomata:
Tiny portals that can be opened and closed to allow plants to exchange gases with the outside. When they are open, carbon dioxide can move throughout the leaf.
Define the guard cells:
These cells lie against each other, and take in water from neighboring epidermal cells. While taking in water, an “o” shape is formed that is the actual stoma.
What is the epidermis?
Thin, tough layer of cells that cover both surfaces of the blade.
Why are stomata critical to photosynthesis?
When the plant makes sugar, oxygen is released as a byproduct. By releasing the oxygen, it will help to balance the gases in our atmosphere, which is critical for photosynthesis.
How do stomata work?
The two aligning guard cells take in water from the neighboring epidermal cells. This causes the cells to swell, and makes an “o” shape, which is known as the stomata. The “o” shape then shrinks once the water is released.
Why are the stomata open during the day and closed at night?
In the daytime, the stomata are open, since the plants need to absorb sunlight in order to go through photosynthesis. At night, it is closed to conserve water.
What is the mesophyll:
Where the leaf makes sugar during photosynthesis.
What is the job of the mesohyll:
-Makes sugar during photosynthesis. -Contains chlorophyll, which causes green light to bounce off.
Why do we see chloroplasts and chlorophyll as green?
The chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light, and makes green light bounce off, which strikes our eyes.
How does photosynthesis begin and describe the process?
It begins when chlorophyll captures the red and blue light from the sun. The leaves then take in water and combine it with carbon dioxide. Then, the Carbon dioxide enters the stomata to make glucose. The glucose is then distributed to the rest of the plant with vein bundles.
