Science department
American division
Millennium International School
Leaves:
Form and structure
The Plant Body: Leaves
• FUNCTION OF LEAVES
– Leaves convert light
energy to chemical
energy
And so, on to leaves
• Leaves are the principle
structure, produced on
stems, where
photosynthesis takes
place.
• Cacti are an exception.
The leaves are reduced to
spines, and the thick
green, fleshy stems are
where photosynthesis
takes place.
General leaf form
• Leaves are the main
photosynthetic organs of most
plants
– but green stems are also
photosynthetic.
Blade
– While leaves vary
extensively in form, they
generally consist of a
flattened blade and a stalk,
the petiole, which joins the
leaf to a stem node. Petiol
• Most monocots have parallel e
major veins that run the length
of the blade, while dicot leaves
have a multi branched network
of major veins.
Copyright © 2002 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as
Benjamin Cummings
Leaf Arrangement on the
Stem
• Plant taxonomists use leaf shape, spatial arrangement of
leaves, and the pattern of veins to help identify and classify
plants.
– A Simple leaves have a single, undivided blade, while
compound leaves have several leaflets attached to the
petiole.
– A Compound leaf has a bud where its petiole attaches to
the stem, not at the base of the leaflets.
Copyright © 2002 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Leaves - Comparisons
Monocots and dicots differ in the arrangement of
veins, the vascular tissue of leaves
Most dicots have Monocots have
branch-like veins parallel leaf veins
and palmate leaf and longer, slender
shape blades
Structures of
the Leaf
Cuticle – the outermost layer of
both the upper and lower surfaces
of the leaf. It is clear and waxy to
prevent against water loss.
Epidermis – a layer of cells one cell
thick that provides protection for the
inner tissues. These cells are clear
to allow light to reach the
photosynthetic tissues.
Mesophyll – between the epidermal
layers. It contains palisade cells
that are tall, tightly packed, and
filled with chloroplasts for
photosynthesis.
Structures of
the Leaf
Stomates – openings in the surface
of the leaf and stems for gas
exchange. The lower surface of a
leaf usually has more. Water vapor
also passes out through these holes.
Veins – contain the vascular tissue
that is continuous with that in the
stem. Xylem carries water and
minerals upward. Phloem carries
dissolved food throughout the plant.
Stomatal control
• When water is abundant:
• Temporal regulation of
stomata is used:
– OPEN during the day
– CLOSED at night
• At night there is no
photosynthesis, so no demand
for CO2 inside the leaf
• Stomata closed to prevent
water loss
• Sunny day - demand for CO2
in leaf is high – stomata wide
open
• As there is plenty of water,
plant trades water loss for
photosynthesis products
Specialized Leaves
Figure 11.12 (2)
• The Venus fly trap has an
“active trap”
• Good control over turgor
pressure in each plant cell.
• When the trap is sprung, ion
channels open and water
moves rapidly out of the cells.
• Turgor drops and the leaves
slam shut
