Photosynthesis

Leaves are structures that carry out

photosynthesis in green plants.
In order to do this they need to be
able to collect sunlight, water, and
carbon dioxide, and get rid of waste
oxygen.
Harvesting light
The larger the surface area, the more
light that can be collected.
The upper surface of the leaf tends to
receive more light than the lower
surface. Plants concentrate their most
effective photosynthetic cells near the
upper surface for this reason.
Carbon dioxide supply
Only 0.03 percent of the atmosphere
is carbon dioxide. Plants need to
process large volumes of air to gather
enough carbon dioxide for
photosynthesis. Holes in the lower
surface of the leaf (called stomata)
allow air to enter the leaf and get
directly to the active photosynthetic
tissues.
Waste oxygen can also leave through
the stomata.
Water supply
Photosynthesis requires a supply of
water. This is provided through the
veins of the leaf. A constant supply of
water is also required to replace the
water lost by transpiration through
the stomata.
Veins also carry the products of
photosynthesis to the rest of the plant.
Nutrition: leaf structure
Typical flowering plant (dicotyledon) Leaf: surface view
leaf:
transverse section
vein
leaf blade (lamina)
margin
midrib
petiole (leaf stalk)
leaf: surface view
apical
(terminal) bud
leaf
lateral (axillary) bud
node
main root
lateral roots
internode
root
shoot
leaf blade (lamina)
phloem
midrib
vein
vein
xylem
vascular bundle
Leaf: transverse section (low power)
upper
epidermis
Leaf: transverse section (high power)
leaf:
transverse
section
(high power)
palisade
mesophyll
spongy
mesophyll
lower
epidermis
cell wall
vacuole
nucleus
chloroplast
cytoplasm
xylem
phloem
parenchyma
air space
vein
guard cell stoma (plural stomata) cuticle
photosynthesis
stoma
transpiration
vein
Key words

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