What Is This Module About?

This module is about the leaves, the food producers in plants. The module will
describe how the leaf is structurally adapted to perform the function of food production in
plants. The discussion has been so organized as to enable you to understand more easily
the role of leaves in photosynthesis or food production.
There are two lessons in this module:
Lesson 1 — The External Parts of the Leaf
Lesson 2 — The Internal Parts of the Leaf

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After completing this module, you should be able to:

♦ describe the external parts of the leaf;

♦ describe the internal parts of the leaf; and
♦ locate specific parts in the cross section of a leaf.
1
 Wait!

Before studying this module, make sure that you have read the module—“Cell: The
Basis of Life.” This will help you understand this module better.

Let’s See What You Already Know

Before you start studying this module, let us first check how much you know about
the leaves of a plant. Do not worry if you get a low score. Just go on and do your best!
From the choices given after each statement, encircle the correct answer.
1. Which among the following leaf parts is responsible for providing support and
strength to the leaf blade?
a. margin
b. base
c. apex
d. midrib
2. What part of the leaf attaches it to the stem?
a. vein
b. midrib
c. petiole
d. base
3. What do you call the netlike structures visible at the surface of a leaf?
a. margins
b. apexes
c. midribs
d. veins
4. If you examine the cross section of a leaf, you will see many air spaces. What is
the primary function of these air spaces?
a. to increase the thickness of the leaf
b. to serve as a cushion for the leaf
c. to trap solar energy
d. to accommodate gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen

5. In what specific part of the cell does photosynthesis take place?

a. mitochondrium
b. chloroplast
c. ribosome
d. nucleus

2
 6. Just like any other living thing, plants exchange gases with their surroundings.
What particular part of the leaf functions like our nostrils?
a. hairs
b. veins
c. cuticle
d. stomata

7. What do you call the “breathing” holes found on the stems of plants?
a. stomata
b. lenticels
c. noses
d. phloems

8. What do you call the part of the leaf whose primary function is to protect it?
a. epidermis
b. mesophyll
c. palisade
d. spongy layer

9. What do you call the part of the leaf that regulates the opening of the stomata?
a. epidermis
b. hair
c. guard cell
d. chlorophyll

10. In what specific part of the leaf does photosynthesis take place?
a. air space
b. epidermis
c. mesophyll layer
d. hair

Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers with those in
the Answer Key on page 27 to find out.

If all your answers are correct, very good! This shows that you already know much
about the topics in this module. You may still study the module to review what you already
know. Who knows, you might learn a few more new things as well.

If you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This means that this module is for you. It will
help you understand important concepts that you can apply in your daily life. If you study
this module carefully, you will learn the answers to all the items in the test and a lot more.
Are you ready?

You may go now to the next page to begin Lesson 1.

3
 LESSON 1

The External Parts of the Leaf

Look at your surroundings. Do you see differences among the living things around?
Observe the trees, their branches, their flowers and their leaves. Are they different from
each other? What about the birds, insects and worms? Do you notice more differences? We
call these differences variations. Well, it has been said that variety is the spice of life. If
there were no variety, the world would be drab and life would be boring.
Now try to concentrate on the leaves, the food manufacturer of the plant. Do they vary
in shape, size, color and arrangement? These beautiful and wonderful part of a plant will be
the topic of our discussion.
By the end of our lesson, you should be able to describe the external parts of the leaf.

Let’s Learn

Did you know that the greatest food factories of the world are the green
plants? Can you imagine a food factory with a production capacity of more or less
one billion tons of organic food per day? Nowhere in the Philippines or in any
other country in the world can you find such a factory! Read on and find out how
they do this.

Let’s Try This

Go outside and find a leaf, preferably a large one. Look at it closely. Draw a picture of
the leaf and its visible parts on a separate sheet of paper.

Let’s Learn

Have you ever wondered why plants have leaves? Reflect for a few moments on the
following questions.
1. Why are leaves important to a plant?
2. What job do they perform?

4
 In this lesson we will try to answer these questions and see how they relate to the
process called photosynthesis.

The External Parts of the Leaf

Plants such as rice, wheat, corn and vegetables are the major sources of food for
Filipinos and other people around the world. But how does a plant get the food it needs so
that it can grow to become food for people like you and me?

Leaves are one of the major means by which a plant gets the food and energy it needs
to grow. As food producers, plants have leaves that enable them to capture light energy
from the sun and convert this energy into food.

Let us first start with the meaning of photosynthesis. This word can be divided
into two parts: photo and synthesis. Photo means “light” and synthesis means “to
make” or process food by using solar energy.

Study your sample leaf. You will see that it has several parts. Each part has its own
special function. Let us study these parts in more detail.

lamina

petiole

base
apex
margin veins
veinlets midrib

♦ Petiole—the stalk that attaches a leaf to the stem of a plant

♦ Lamina—the flattened part of a leaf

♦ Midrib—the rib that runs along the center of a leaf and forms an extension of the
petiole

♦ Base—the part which supports the blade of a leaf

♦ Margin—the side or edge of a leaf

5
 ♦ Apex—the tip of the leaf blade

♦ Veins—the netlike structures on the surface of a leaf

♦ Veinlets—the smaller netlike extensions of the veins of a leaf

All plants have leaves which have a similar structure to the leaf in the picture. Let us
see if you can identify the various parts of a gumamela leaf.

Let’s Try This

Get a gumamela leaf. Draw and label its parts correctly.

Do not shade your drawings. Check your labels by referring to the picture on page 5.
Although plants have leaves with similar parts, their arrangement may vary in
different plants. Some leaves may be arranged in a spiral or alternately, others are arranged
opposite each other and some are arranged in a whorl or are spread out from a center.
Below are more information on the different leaf arrangements.

6
The Different Types of Leaf Arrangements

1. Spiral

The plant’s leaves are arranged forming a line winding outwards from a
central point in circles or near-circles of regularly increasing size. Examples of
plants with this kind of leaf arrangement are the gumamela, santol and atis.

Spiral leaf arrangements

2. Opposite
The plant’s leaves are arranged in pairs on a stem, so that the two members of
a pair are exactly opposite each other. Examples of plants with this kind of leaf
arrangement are the guava, santan and malunggay.

Opposite leaf arrangement

7
3. Whorl

The plant’s leaves are spread out from a common point on the stem. Example
of plants with this kind of leaf arrangement are the Adelfa, dita and digman.

Whorl leaf arrangement

Why do you think plants have different leaf arrangements? How might different
leaf arrangements help a plant capture light in the process of photosynthesis? We will
now try to answer these questions.

Let’s Try This

Get three plant samples with different types of leaf arrangements.

1. Which among the three plants have a leaf arrangement that captures more
sunlight?
____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. Try to find at least three plants with a whorl leaf arrrangement. Will these get
enough sunlight?
____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

8
 Here are some sample answers:
1. Spiral leaf arrangement is the most ideal because the leaves do not shade each
other.
2. Examples of plants with a whorl leaf arrangement are the kutsarita, bridal
bouquet and santan.
The more exposed the leaves are, the better because they can get more sunlight
which hastens photosynthesis.
Having expanded, thin and flat leaf blades also hastens photosynthesis. This type
of leaf blades tend to get more sunlight compared to narrow leaves. Examples of plants
with narrow or needle-shaped leaves are the agoho plant, pine tree and asparagus.

Let’s Try This

Go outside and collect ten leaves of different plants you are familiar with. Group
the leaves in a table similar to the one below. Two examples have been given for you.

Type of Blade

Name of Plant
Expanded Narrow

Banana 4

Pine Tree 4

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 Let’s Review

1. Which type of leaf blade is more common?

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Why is having narrow leaves disadvantageous to plants?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 27.

10
 Let’s Learn

Did you know that cactus leaves are formed like spines? They are small and narrow.
These spines function mainly to protect the plant. The green, fleshy and more or less
expanded parts are the stems that take on the task of processing food.

Why Are Some Leaves Shiny?

Are you familiar with guyabano leaves? Notice that they are shiny. The substance that
makes leaves shiny is the cutin on their outermost surface. It is similar to floor wax. Cutin
prevents rapid loss of water in plants. The upper surface of the leaves which is more
exposed to sunlight has a thicker cutin layer compared to the underpart. This is primarily
the reason why the upper surface of a leaf is shinier than the underpart.

Let’s Review

1. List down 5 common plants with shiny leaf surfaces.

a. _______________________
b. _______________________
c. _______________________
d. _______________________
e. _______________________
2. Why is cutin more concentrated on the upper surface than on the undersides of
the leaves?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 27-28.

How Do Plants “Breathe”?

Plants “breathe” or exchange gases with their surroundings through their leaves. Try
to examine the openings or “breathing” holes on the undersides of leaves. These tiny
“breathing” holes are known as stomata. These are where gases enter and exit the leaves.
You can only see these with the use of a microscope. Each of these “breathing” holes is
bounded by guard cells. The guard cells open and close the stomata.

11
 Stomata are concentrated more on the undersides of leaves because these are less
exposed to dust. Dust might clog the holes, preventing important gases from entering and
leaving the leaves. The presence of stomata on the undersides of leaves also prevents loss
of too much water in plants.
Imagine a leaf 100 times bigger than you can see with your eyes. The stomata would
look something like this:

open stoma

closed stoma

guard cells

Let’s Try This

Try to find a microscope and examine a prepared slide of the stomata of a leaf. Use
only the low-power objective to avoid breaking the slide. Draw and label the stomata and
guard cells.
If you do not have a microscope, study the figure below and label the stoma, guard
cells and opening.

To check your drawing and labels, please refer to page 28.

12
 Let’s Review

Why are stomata concentrated on the undersides of leaves?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28.

Let’s Try This

Get a stem of a gumamela plant. Examine it closely. You may use a hand lens if one
is available. Lenticels look like tiny hills on the stems. Try other kinds of plants and
examine the lenticels on their stems.

Let’s Think About This

1. Did you find lenticels on the stem?

_________________________________________________________________
2. How do lenticels look?
_________________________________________________________________
3. Among the plants you examined, which has the most lenticels?
_________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those found in the Answer Key on page 28.

13
 Let’s Learn

In plants, gas exchange does not only take place in the leaves. “Breathing” holes
known as lenticels are also found on the stems. These lenticels are very different from the
stomata of the leaves. They look like tiny elevated structures on the surface of the stem. No
guard cells are found around the lenticels because these are constantly open. Air enters and
leaves these “breathing” holes. Lenticels are usually seen as whitish, elevated structures in
mature stems. You can usually see them even without using a hand lens.

Challenger Question:

Suppose you were going away on a vacation and you could not find somebody to
water your house plants. You know that plants lose water through the stomata in their
leaves so you decided to cover the leaves with petroleum jelly or pomade to prevent water
loss. When you returned home, you found out that your plants died. Why?
Were you able to answer the question? See if it is the same as mine:
Your plants died because of the jelly that you applied on the leaves. The jelly covered
the stomata. Because of this, air was no longer free to move in and out of the leaves. This
cut off the oxygen and carbon dioxide supply of your plants. The lack of supply of these
gases caused the death of the plants.
Well, we are almost through with this lesson. Are you ready for the next lesson?

14
 Let’s See What You Have Learned

Match Column A with Column B. Write the letters only.

A B

_____ 1. It is the structure that attaches the leaf a. cutin

to the stem.
_____ 2. It gives support and strength to the blade. b. guard cells
_____ 3. These are the breathing organs found on
the surface of leaves. c. petiole
_____ 4. It is the waxy substance on leaves that
prevents rapid loss of water. d. midrib

_____ 5. They regulate the size of the stomata. e. stomata

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29. Did you get
everything right? If you did, that’s very good. You may proceed to the next lesson. If
you did not get everything right, study the lesson again, especially the parts you did not
understand. Afterwards, proceed to the next lesson.

Let’s Remember

♦ Leaves are the part of the plant responsible for the process of food production
or photosynthesis.
♦ Leaf arrangements differ in plants. Plants may have leaves in a spiral,
opposite, or whorl arrangement.
♦ Leaf blades vary. Some may be expanded, thin and flat while others may be
narrow.
♦ The leaf has external and internal parts.
♦ The external parts are the petiole, blade, margin, base, apex, midrib, veins,
and veinlets.
♦ Leaves have cutin, a waxy substance that prevents rapid loss of water.
♦ Leaves also have stomata that serve as “breathing” holes.

15
 LESSON 2

The Internal Parts of the Leaf

We have just looked at the external features of a leaf. Now, we are going to examine
the internal parts of a leaf. These are the parts that cannot be seen from the outside. You
can only see them by cutting a thin section of the leaf and examining it under a
microscope. Try to imagine a leaf as a thick bed with springs. The springs are the internal
parts of the leaf which can be seen only if we cut the leaf.
Have you ever thought why most leaves are green? Why are they not blue, orange, red
or violet?

Why Am I Green?

The answer to why leaves are green lies in how a leaf absorbs light. Light actually
consists of different waves which correspond to different colors. The colors are red,
orange, green, yellow, blue, indigo and violet. All these colors are absorbed by the
chlorophyll pigment except for the green wave. Since the green wave is not absorbed, it is
reflected back to our eyes and this makes us see the leaves as green.

16
 Let’s Learn

Chloroplasts are the chlorophyll-containing bodies in plant cells where

photosynthesis takes place. Imagine green ink inside a glass container. The glass
container is the chloroplast while the green ink inside is the chloropyll pigment.
If we were to cut a leaf in half and look at the cross section magnified 400 times it
would look like this:

intercellular
cell wall
space cytoplasm
cuticle
vacuole
chloroplast
nucle
us
upper
epidermis

palisade
mesophyll

spongy
mesophyll

lower
epidermis

guard cells
stoma vein
sclerenchyma
substomatal parenchyma
chamber

Let us examine closely this cross section of the leaf, starting from the top.

17
 intercellular cell wall
space cytoplasm
cuticle vacuole
chloroplast
nucle
us
upper
epidermis

palisade
mesophyll

spongy
mesophyll

lower
epidermis

guard cells
stoma
vein
sclerenchyma
substomatal parenchyma
chamber

The internal parts of the leaf are:

♦ Upper epidermis—This is the outermost single layer of cells located at the
top. It serves primarily as protection for the leaf in a way similar to human
skin.
♦ Mesophyll layer—This is the leaf’s main photosynthetic part because it is
the engine room of the plant’s food factory. The cells are filled with
chloroplasts. The mesophyll layer lies inside the upper and lower
epidermis. It is divided into two sublayers:
♦ Palisade layer—the upper layer. Observe the number, shape and
arrangement of the cells of this layer. There are many cells here. They
are elongated and are pressed together like sardines in a can.
♦ Spongy layer—composed of irregular and loosely arranged cells.
There are fewer cells here than in the palisade layer and they are not
close together due to the presence of air spaces in between.
If we compare the two sublayers, the engine room of the
photosynthetic plant factory is much busier in the palisade layer than in the
spongy layer because the palisade layer has larger number of cells filled
with chloroplasts.
♦ Vein—This is a roundish structure found more or less in the middle of the
cross section of the spongy mesophyll layer. This is where the xylem
vessels and phloem cells are found. These parts are used in bringing water
upward (xylem) and food downward (phloem) in plants. They are similar
to the veins and blood vessels of the human body through which blood
flows to and from the heart.

18
 ♦ Lower epidermis—Just like the upper epidermis, this is also composed of one
layer of cells that do not contain chloroplasts. The only difference is in the
number of stomata and the amount of cutin. This layer has more stomata and less
cutin compared to the upper surface. The upper epidermis is therefore shinier
than the lower epidermis.

Let’s Think About This

Why are the cells of the palisade layer compactly arranged and filled with
chloroplasts?
_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29.

Let’s Try This

Get a young leaf of a santan plant. Slowly and carefully insert it into a slice of an
unripe papaya. This will hold the leaf in place. Now, use a sharp blade to cut a thin section
from the leaf. The thinner the section, the better. Put the cut section on a slide and examine
it under a microscope. Look at the cross section of the leaf and identify its parts. It should
look something like the picture shown on the next page.

19
 If you can not find a microscope, just label the parts in the figure above. Compare
your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29.

Let’s Review

A. Answer the following questions:

1. Where do you find the stomata? ____________________
2. What is the shape of the mesophyll cells? _____________
3. How many layers of cells are found in the epidermis?
____________________________
B. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.
1. What do you call the layer of a leaf which is composed of cells filled with
chloroplasts?
a. upper epidermis
b. lower epidermis
c. phloem
d. mesophyll
2. Which wave is not absorbed by the chlorophyll pigment?
a. blue
b. green
c. indigo
d. red

20
 3. What do you call the layer where most of the stomata are concentrated?
a. lower epidermis
b. upper epidermis
c. spongy layer
d. palisade layer
4. What do you call the structure where chlorophyll is specifically located?
a. stomata
b. spongy layer
c. epidermal cell
d. chloroplast
5. In what internal part of the leaf are air spaces located?
a. spongy layer
b. mesophyll
c. epidermal
d. palisade
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29.

Carnivorous Plants

pitcher plant sundew Venus flytrap

Do you know that there are some plants that eat animals? These plants do not produce
their own food. They depend on other organisms for survival. These plants are called
carnivorous plants. Examples of these are the pitcher plant, sundew, and Venus flytrap.
They catch insects through their sensitive hairs and sticky secretions. The plants secrete
enzymes or helper substances that digest the insects.
Did you know that a Venus flytrap can eat even a medium-sized frog?

21
 Let’s Think About This

Many people find carnivorous plants interesting. Most of these are collected without
permission. As a result, many of them are in danger of becoming extinct. As a learner, how
can you help in the conservation of endangered carnivorous plants?
Make a list of what you can do to help conserve our endangered plants.
_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Your list might be a little different from mine but it’s okay. You can learn from my
list below.

Let’s Learn

Here are some things you can do to help conserve our endangered carnivorous plants
as well as all other plants:
1. Avoid indiscriminate and unnecessary collection of specimens.
2. Plant more carnivorous plants.
3. Do not introduce “aggresive” species of plants and animals.
4. Control pests.
5. Set up seedling banks and plant nurseries for the propagation of plants.

Some examples of Philippine endangered plants are the following:

1. picher plant
2. almaciga
3. lauan
4. narra

22
 5. orchid
6. apitong
7. bakauan
8. mahogany
9. waling-waling
10. lipstick plant

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Match the items in Column A with those in Column B. Write the letters only.

A B

_____ 1. It is the structure that attaches the a. cutin

leaf to the stem.
b. lenticels
_____ 2. It is the structure that gives strength
and support to the leaf blade. c. guard cells
_____ 3. They regulate the opening of the stomata. d. midrib
_____ 4. These are the “breathing” holes in stems.
e. petiole
_____ 5. It is a waxy substance found on the
surface of leaves. f. carnivorous
_____ 6. These are netlike structures on the
g. chloroplasts
surface of leaves
_____ 7. These serve as “containers” of h. green light
chlorophyll.
i. vein
_____ 8. It is the wave not absorbed by the
chlorophyll pigment. j. margin
_____ 9. This is the part inside a leaf
where air spaces are found. k. spongy layer

_____ 10. These are meat-eating plants.

Check your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 30.

23
 Let’s Remember

♦ The internal parts of a leaf consist of the upper and lower epidermis, the
mesophyll layer and the veins.
♦ The mesophyll is the only layer of the leaf with chloroplasts. It is the busiest part
of the leaf.
♦ The chloroplasts are the center of photosynthesis in plants.
♦ Chlorophyll, which is found inside the choloroplasts, is the active pigment in
photosynthesis.
♦ The spongy mesophyll layer is composed of loosely arranged cells with
chloroplasts. Air spaces are found along this layer.
♦ The vein is the part where the xylem and phloem are found. Their function is to
transport substances through the plant
♦ Carnivorous plants do not carry out photosynthesis. They depend on other
organisms such as flies, grasshoppers and frogs for food.

You have reached the end of the module. Congratulations! You are now a persistent
learner. Did you enjoy studying this module? Did you learn a lot from it?

Let’s Sum Up

This module tells us that:

♦ Plants as well as other living things can perform certain functions only if they
have the necessary structures.
♦ As food producers, plants have leaves that trap light energy which powers the
process of food making or photosynthesis.
♦ Plants have parts that are adapted to their functions. For example, most plants
have expanded leaves that favor the capture of more light energy.
♦ The food that the plants produce is important not only for their own nourishment
but for the nourishment of all other organisms that depend on them for food. We
should remember also that there would be no life in this world without plants.

24
 What Have You Learned?

Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which among the following has a narrow leaf blade?

a. banana leaf
b. santol leaf
c. gabi leaf
d. pine tree leaf

2. Which among the following makes leaves shiny?

a. cutin
b. chlorophyll
c. guard cell
d. epidermis

3. What do you call the structures that control the opening and closing of the
stomata?

a. chloroplasts
b. guard cells
c. phloem
d. xylem

4. If you examine a cross section of a leaf, you will see many air spaces. What
could be the primary function of these air spaces?

a. to increase the thickness of the leaf

b. to serve as cushion for the leaf
c. to trap light energy
d. to accommodate gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen

5. In which specific part of the cell does photosynthesis take place?

a. mitochondrium
b. chloroplast
c. ribosome
d. nucleus

6. Just like any other creature, plants exchange gases with their surroundings. What
particular structure in a leaf has the same function as our nostrils?

a. hairs
b. veins
c. cuticle
d. stomata
25
 7. What do you call the “breathing” holes found on stems?

a. stomata
b. lenticels
c. noses
d. phloem
8. What do you call the layer of the leaf that serves primarily for protection?

a. epidermis
b. mesophyll
c. palisade
d. spongy
9. What do you call the part of the leaf that is attached to the stem?

a. blade
b. apex
c. margin
d. petiole
10. What is the internal layer of the leaf where cells are loosely arranged?

a. palisade
b. spongy
c. epidermis
d. none of the above

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 30.

If you got a score of:

0–4 You need to study the whole module again.
5–7 Good! You just need to review the parts of the module that you did not
understand.
8–10 Very good! This means that you understood this module well. Just go
back to the parts where you made mistakes.

26
 Answer Key

A. Let’s See What You Already Know (page 2)

1. (d) The midrib is the part that gives support to the blade. The other
choices are simply parts of the external structure of the leaf.
2. (c) The petiole attaches the leaf to the stem. The vein is for transport
while the midrib supports the blade. The base is simply the part found at
the lower part of the leaf.
3. (d) The veins are the netlike structures found on the surface of a leaf.
4. (d) The primary function of the air spaces is to accommodate gases
such as carbon dioxide and oxygen.
5. (b) The chloroplast is where photosynthesis takes place.
6. (d) The stomata are the “nostrils” found in leaves.
7. (b) The lenticels are the “breathing” holes found on the stems.
8. (a) The basic function of the epedermis is to protect the outermost part
of the plant.
9. (c) The guard cells regulate the opening of the stomata.
10. (c) The mesophyll layer is where most of the cells are provided with
chloroplasts.

B. Lesson 1

Let’s Review (page 10)

1. Expanded leaf blades are more common than narrow ones.

2. Narrow leaves find it more difficult to get sunlight because they have a
smaller surface area exposed to the sun.

Let’s Review (page 11)

1. The following are some possible answers: star apple, lychee, rambutan,
pomelo, orange, santan, avocado, coconut, banana and mango.
2. Cutin is more concentrated on the upper surface than on the undersides
because this part of the leaf is more exposed to sunlight.

27
Let’s Try This (page 12)

opening
guard cell

stoma

Let’s Review (page 13)

Stomata are concentrated on the undersides of the leaves because these are
less exposed to dust. Dust might clog the stomata, preventing gases from
entering and leaving the leaves. The stomata have to be on the underside so they
will not be exposed to direct sunlight which may lead to rapid loss of water in a
plant.

Let’s Think About This (page 13)

Answers will vary according to learner’s observations but their answers

should be similar to these:

1. yes

2. Lenticels look like tiny elevated structures on the surface of the stem.
They are usually seen as whitish, elevated structures in mature stems.

3. Name of plants may vary according to their observations.

28
 Let’s See What You Have Learned (page 15)

1. c
2. d
3. e
4. a
5. b

C. Lesson 2

Let’s Think About This (page 19)

The cells of the palisade layer are compactly arranged and filled with
chloroplasts since the palisade layer is where most photosynthesic activities in
the leaf take place.

Let’s Try This (page 19)

intercellular space chloroplasts vacuole

phloem

substomatal chamber parenchyma

Let’s Review (pages 20–21)

A. 1. The stomata are found mostly on the undersides of leaves.

2. The cells in the mesophyll layer are elongated.
3. There is only a single layer of cells found in the epidermis.
B. 1. d
2. b
3. a
4. d
5. a

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 Let’s Think About This (page 22)

Answers will depend on the learner’s perception.

Let’s See What You Have Learned (page 23)

1. e 6. i
2. d 7. g
3. c 8. h
4. b 9. k
5. a 10. f

D. What Have You Learned? (pages 25-26)

1. (d) Pine leaves have narrow blades. The rest of the choices have broad
blades.
2. (a) Cutin makes leaves shiny in appearance. It protects the leaves from
rapid loss of water.
3. (b) Guard cells regulate the opening of the stomata. The rest are mostly
for transport function except for the chlorophyll.
4. (d) The primary function of the air spaces is to accommodate gases
such as carbon dioxide and oxygen.
5. (b) Photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplast.
6. (d) The stomata are the “breathing” holes found in leaves.
7. (b) Lenticels are the “breathing” holes found on the surface of the
stems.
8. (a) The epidermis gives protection to the plant.
9. (d) The petiole is the part of the leaf that is attached to the stem.
10. (b) The spongy layer is where air spaces are found.

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 Glossary

Chlorophyll Pigment involved in capturing the light energy that drives photosynthesis
found in plants.
Chloroplast Chlorophyll-containing bodies that carry out photosynthesis.
cuticle A layer of cutin on epidermal cells; it reduces water loss in plants.
Cutin A fatty acid that is water impermeable; it forms a layer (cuticle) on the
epidermis.
Dicot Flowering plants with seeds having two cotyledons.
Epidermis The outermost layer of the plant body, covering leaves, flower parts, young
stems and roots.
Guard cells A pair of epidermal cells capable of adjusting their size and shape, causing
the stomatal pore to open and close.
Lenticel Found in bark or stems of plants used for gas exchange.
Palisade mesophyll Any part of the leaf mesophyll in which the cells are elongated
and aligned parallel to each other. This layer is composed of chloroplast-laden
cells.
Mesophyll All tissues of a leaf except the epidermis. This is divided into spongy and
palisade mesophyll.
Midrib The large, central vascular bundle of leaf. It also provides mechanical support
for the leaf.
Monocot Flowering plant with seeds having only one cotyledon.
Petiole The stalk of the leaf. It is the part that attaches the leaf to the stem.
Photosynthesis A process in which light energy is converted to chemical energy stored
in chemical compounds. It takes place in green plants, algae and certain
protists and bacteria.

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Spongy mesophyll Any part of the leaf mesophyll in which the cells are not aligned to
each other and are separated due to air spaces.

References

Balzer, L., Goodson, P.L. 1986. Introduction to Biology. Scott, Foresman and Company,
Glenview, Illinois.
Daniel, L., E. Ortleb, Biggs Alton. 1994. Merill Life Science. Macmillan/Mc Graw Hill.
New York.
Mauseth, James T. 1996. Botany. Harcourt Brace and Company. Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.
Miller K. R. 1991. Biology. Prentice Hall. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Needham,
Massachusetts.
Stern, K. R. 1994. Introductory Plant Biology. Wm. C. Brown Publishers Inc., USA.
Wong, H. K., M. Dolmatz. 1986. Biology: The Key Ideas. Globe Book Company, Inc.,
New York, Cleveland, Toronto.

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