plants

• a leaf has a moist surface in order to increase rate of diffusion, substances dissolved into liquid can be transported quicker
• Rate of gas exchange in stomata can be increased by there being more stomata in the leaf
• Xerophytic plants have adapted to dry environments by having a thick waxy cuticle to reduce evaporation and having less stomata
• adaptations of the leaf for gas exchange:

  • thin and flat = short diffusion distance
  • many stomata
  • air spaces in mesophyll