Jasminum nudiflorum Leaf Under the Microscope
Jasminum nudiflorum Leaf (Transverse Section), Jasminum nudiflorum
This is a cross section of a winter jasmine leaf stained with fast green. It shows the layered structure of a typical dicot leaf, with food-making cells on top and air spaces below.
This is a transverse section of a winter jasmine leaf (Jasminum nudiflorum), cut straight across the blade and stained with fast green. The upper and lower surfaces are each covered by a single layer of epidermis cells. Just under the top surface is the palisade layer, tall cells packed side by side like fence posts that catch light for photosynthesis. Below it, the spongy layer has loose, rounded cells with open air spaces that let gases move through the leaf. Small veins with xylem and phloem run through the middle to carry water and sugars.
What to look for
- Cuticle: A thin waxy coating on the outer surface of the epidermis.
- Upper and lower epidermis: Single layers of cells on the top and bottom surfaces.
- Palisade mesophyll: Tall, tightly packed cells just under the upper epidermis.
- Spongy mesophyll: Loosely packed cells with air spaces, above the lower epidermis.
- Vascular bundles: Small veins with xylem and phloem running through the mesophyll.
Questions and answers
What are the layers of a dicot leaf under a microscope?
A dicot leaf has an upper epidermis with a waxy cuticle, a palisade layer of tall packed cells, a spongy layer with air spaces, and a lower epidermis. Veins with xylem and phloem run through the middle layers.
Why does the spongy mesophyll have air spaces?
The air spaces let carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapor move through the leaf. They connect to the stomata, mostly on the underside, where gases enter and leave.
- Category
- Botany & Plants
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- Fast Green
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