Knowra Mesophyll cells Mesophyll cells Mesophyll cells are the photosynthetic cells between a leaf’s upper and lower epidermis. They typically contain chloroplasts and are organized to capture light and exchange carbon dioxide.
Chloroplast : A membrane-bound organelle where photosynthesis occurs in plants and algae. Mesophyll cells contain chloroplasts, which convert captured light energy into chemical energy.
Palisade mesophyll : A tightly packed layer of elongated mesophyll cells, usually beneath the upper epidermis. Its chloroplast-rich cells are positioned to capture incoming light efficiently.
C3 carbon fixation : The carbon-fixation pathway in which RuBisCO first incorporates carbon dioxide into a three-carbon compound. Most mesophyll cells fix carbon through this pathway, which is vulnerable to photorespiration.
Epidermal cell : A cell in the outer protective tissue covering a plant organ. Epidermal cells enclose mesophyll and generally serve protection rather than bulk photosynthesis.
Chlorophyll : A green pigment that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll in mesophyll chloroplasts absorbs much of the light used in photosynthesis.
Spongy mesophyll : A loosely arranged mesophyll layer with large air spaces that facilitate gas diffusion. Its air spaces bring carbon dioxide close to photosynthesizing cells.
C4 carbon fixation : A carbon-fixation pathway that initially captures carbon dioxide in four-carbon compounds before concentrating it around RuBisCO. In C4 plants, mesophyll cells capture carbon dioxide and pass it to specialized bundle-sheath cells.
Guard cell : A specialized epidermal cell that opens and closes a stoma. Guard cells regulate carbon dioxide entry into leaves, while mesophyll cells consume it.
Leaf anatomy : The internal organization of a leaf, including its epidermis, mesophyll, veins, and air spaces. Mesophyll is the tissue layer situated between the leaf’s upper and lower epidermis.
Photosynthesis : The process by which organisms use light energy to build organic molecules from carbon dioxide and water. Mesophyll cells perform much of a leaf’s photosynthesis using light, water, and carbon dioxide.
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