Chapter 35.3, Problem 2CC

Summary Introduction

To determine: Whether the plants with vertically oriented leaves will possess “mesophyll that is divided into spongy and palisade layers”.

Concept introduction:

Plants leave develops from a structure called leaf primordia (a projection that arises along the shoot apical meristem). Structurally, the leaves are made up of cuticle, epidermis and ground tissue (mesophyll). The mesophyll is present between leaf’s upper and lower epidermal layers. Mesophyll possesses mainly the parenchyma cell. The parenchyma cells play very crucial role in photosynthesis.

In some plants (eudicots), mesophyll contains two different layers, palisade and spongy. Palisade layer is present on the upper region of the leaves. On the contrary, the spongy layer is present below the palisade mesophyll. The spongy mesophyll has porous structures to facilitate the circulation of carbon dioxide and oxygen.