palisade mesophyll cells

• Palisade mesophyll cells in leaf

  • cylindrical shape, arranged at right angles to the upper epidermis, features to optimise photosynthesis
  • have features to optimise trapping of sunlight and uptake of carbon dioxide to make glucose
• photosynthesis

  6CO2 + 6H2O - C6H1206 + 6O2
• Features of palisade mesophyll for photosynthesis

  • cells elongated, cylindrical, many closely packed together to increase SA, absorb as much light as possible
  • many chloroplasts, contain chlorophyll, to trap sunlight
  • chloroplasts moved by cytoskeleton, which protects them from sun
  • large permanent vacuole pushes chloroplasts to outer edge of cell, increases light energy, reduces diffusion distance for CO2
  • thin, transparent cellulose cell walls so easy gas diffusion