Leaves Leaves play an important role for the

Leaves

Leaves play an important role for the plant!

What leaves do for the plant n Control amount of water in the plant n n Exchange gases () n n Transpiration – water vapor evaporates through the stomates Carbon Dioxide in and Oxygen out hrough the stomates Make the food for the plant n Photosynthesis

Transpiration The loss of water through the leaves by evaporation

Stomates Tiny openings found on the underside of leaves n Have guard cells on either side to open and close n Open during photosynthesis to take-in carbon dioxide and release oxygen and water vapor n

A cross-section of a leaf with Stomata

What the stomata make happen!

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis! n Photosynthesis Requires: n n n carbon dioxide (from the air) water (from the soil) light energy chlorophyll (green pigment to absorb light energy) Photosynthesis Produces: n n n glucose (sugar to “feed” the plant) oxygen (a waste product) Water vapor

Photosynthesis Here is another way of understanding how photosynthesis happens.

Once more to help explain

Glucose What is glucose anyway? Type of sugar n Plants consume the sugar they create for energy to help them grow n Animals consume plants to get that same sugar for energy n

Breathe in, Breathe out n n Plants “breathe” in carbon dioxide and “breathe” out oxygen – this is how plants “exchange gases”! Animals do the opposite of plants – we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide This happens during photosynthesis through the stomates Without plants we would not have oxygen to breathe!

Bonus Material A little more information about Xylem and Phloem!

Xylem and Phloem

The flow in xylem and phloem

Transpiration and Photosynthesis simplified