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Publication 12 24911 893

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19 views4 pages

Publication 12 24911 893

Uploaded by

dasleychipana3
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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First stage General plant Dr.

Huda Altameme

Lab -7- The Leaf


A leaf is an aerial and lateral outgrowth of the stem of a usually flat and dorsiventral
anatomy. It functions mainly to manufacture food by photosynthesis and consists
typically of a stalk also called petiole, a flattened blade, the lamina, and the leaf base.
Strands of conducting and strengthening tissues, the veins, run through it. Their
pattern, also called leaf venation, is a feature of characterization. Leaves may be
simple, i.e. undivided or compound (composed of several parts called leaflets). The
blade margin and the leaf arrangement at the stem are further features of
characterization.

Simple Leaves :- Simple leaves have one leaf blade. The leaf may be irregularly
shaped, but it is still one blade with one leaf stalk.

Compound Leaf :- Compound leaves are made of many individual leaflets that are
all attached to the same leaf stalk

Modified Leaves :- Some leaves have many unusual shapes and sizes. This allows
them to adapt to protect the plant, to store food, or to adapt to the environment
in which they grow.

Leaf Arrangement
Alternate:- In an alternate arrangement, single leaves are attached spirally along the
stem.
Opposite:- Two leaves emerge opposite each other on a stem.
Whorled:- In a whorled arrangement, several leaves emerge together around a stem
node.

Leaf Tissues
The leaf blade’s outer surface is epidermal tissue and the ground tissue within is
photosynthetic mesophyll, interspersed with “veins” (vascular bundles) of conducting
(vascular) tissue. Vascular connections between blade and stem pass through the
petiole.

Dicot Leaf
Epidermis:- There may be one or more layers of epidermal cells with cutinized outer
walls that form a waterproof outer surface. Stomata of guard cells are present on the
upper and lower surface or only on the lower surface. Various hairs and glands may
also be present .

Ground Tissue:- The parenchyma cells of the ground tissue are divided into palisade
and spongy mesophyll. Usually the columnar cells of the palisade layer lie under the
upper leaf epidermis and contain most of the chloroplasts of the ground tissue. The
spongy parenchyma has irregular-shaped cells with air spaces between and lies above
the lower leaf epidermis.

Vascular Tissue:- Four small vein transections are shown which are part of the vast,
interconnecting network between major veins. A leaf vein (vascular bundle) usually
has xylem on the upper side and phloem on the lower side. The reverse may be true in
major veins. A layer of parenchyma cells called a bundle sheath , which functions in
First stage General plant Dr. Huda Altameme

moving materials between the vein and the mesophyll tissue, usually encloses small
veins.

Monocot Leaf (Grass)


Epidermis:- Along with the epidermal cells , guard cells , hairs, silica, and cork cells,
grass leaves have bulliform cells . The bubble-shaped, water-filled bulliform cells
control leaf rolling (when the leaf is dry) and unrolling (when the leaf is turgid or
filled with water). Under drought conditions, bulliform cells collapse and the leaf rolls
up.

Ground Tissue:- In the temperate region, grass mesophyll consists of only spongy
parenchyma tissue whose cells contain chloroplasts—sites of photosynthesis.

Vascular Tissue:- Grass leaves have bundle sheaths surrounding each vein.
Sclerenchyma fiber strands may be associated with the veins.

Conifer Leaf
Epidermis:- The usually small, triangular or flat “needle” leaves of conifers are
adapted to dry conditions. Epidermal cells have thick walls of cuticle, and sunken
stomatal guard cells overlapped on the surface by subsidiary cells . Stomata may be
on one or all sides of the leaf surface. Under the epidermis may be a layer of thick-
walled sclerenchyma cells called hypodermis .

Ground Tissue. Mesophyll tissue is not usually differentiated into palisade and
spongy layers. Resin ducts are present.

Vascular Tissue. There are one or two veins in the center surrounded by transfusion
tissue and endodermis containing tannins and resins.

Practical parts:
1- Observe the characters of leaves then draw the simple , compound and modified
leaves in Nerium, Rosa and Allium respectively.

Nerium Rosa Allium


First stage General plant Dr. Huda Altameme

2- Observe the Leaf Arrangement in stem and draw it .

Alternate Opposite Whorled

3- Examine the permanent slide of Corn (Zea mays) stem in 10x magnification,
Showing : cuticle, upper epidermis, mesophyll, vein (or vascular bundle),
xylem, phloem, bundle sheath cells, lower epidermis, guard cells, bulliform
cells.
First stage General plant Dr. Huda Altameme

4- Examine the permanent slide of Helianthus or Ligustrum stem in 10x


magnification. You should be able to recognize: cuticle, upper epidermis,
palisade mesophyll, spongy mesophyll, vein (or vascular bundle of a leaf),
xylem, phloem, bundle sheath cells, lower epidermis, guard cells.

5- Examine the permanent slide of Pinus (Conifer Leaf) in 10x magnification. You
should be able to recognize: Epidermis , Stomata, Resin canal and Vascular
bundle.

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