The skin of a plant
A leaf is dotted with tiny pores. What are they for?
Loading lab…
Step 1 of 4
- The epidermis is one layer of flat cells. It covers the plant.
- A waxy layer, the cuticle, sits on top.
- The epidermis of leaves and stems has pores. They are stomata.
- In a root, some epidermal cells grow long hairs.
The pores let gases and water vapour pass. Water vapour is water as a gas.
Rule
Rule: The epidermis is the outer skin of a plant. Its stomata let gases and water vapour pass.
- Epidermis — the plant's outer skin. Flat cells fit close together in one sheet.
- Stomata — tiny pores in the epidermis of leaves and stems. One pore is a stoma.
- Cuticle — a wax coat over the epidermis. It slows water loss. Some plants of very dry places have a thick one.
- Root hairs — thin threads that grow out of root skin cells. They reach more soil, so they take in more water and minerals.
Water leaves a leaf as vapour through the stomata. This is transpiration. Transpiration pulls water up the xylem.