leaf structure

• wax cuticle: protective layer on top of the leaf which prevents water from evaporating
• upper epidermis: thin and transparent to allow light to enter palisade mesophyll layer underneath it
• palisade mesophyll: column shaped cells tightly packed with chloroplasts to absorb more light, maximizing photosynthesis
• lower epidermis: contains guard cells and stomata
• guard cell: absorbs and loses water to open and close the stomata to allow carbon dioxide to diffuse in, and oxygen to diffuse out
• stomata: where gas exchange takes place; opens during the fay, closes during the night. evaporation of water also takes place from here. in most plants, found in much greater concentration on the underside of the leaf to reduce water loss.
• vascular bundle: contains xylem and phloem to transport substances to and from the leaf.
• paint plant organ responsible for phottosynthesis as they contain most of the chlorophyll
• leaf structure facilitates photosynthesis