- Plants are much more than just a centerpiece.house plant isolated image by Yuriy Mazur from Fotolia.com
Earth’s inhabitants get energy from the sun, and plants are the producers doing all the work to make that energy flow. When the sun shines on the leaves of a plant, tiny pores on the underside of the leaf spring into action. These pores, called stomata, are the entrance and the exit for carbon dioxide and oxygen created from the sun’s energy. As soon as stomata take in carbon dioxide, leaf cells begin the process of creating glucose (sugar) and other carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are released again as oxygen exits through the stomata. All living things, including the trees themselves, use these carbohydrates as fuel for the energy they need in order to exist and reproduce. - Leaves create energy from sunlight.Trees with sunlight image by PinkSkyPhotos from Fotolia.com
Leaves absorb sunlight through organelles called chloroplasts. These chloroplasts are full of green matter called chlorophyll, which is what gives leaves their green hue during the growing season. This is where the work takes place to produce energy at rates faster than humans can comprehend. - Leaf layers work individually to assist in the process of photosynthesis.a leaf image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
A leaf is not as simple as it may look. It’s a complex production assembly made up of different layers that are all necessary to assist in the process of photosynthesis. According to the research of David E. Watson at Flying Turtle Exploring, the detailed layers can be described in an overview of three sections. The top and bottom layers of a leaf are the cuticle layers and epidermal cells. They act as a skin that protects the middle layer, when the chloroplasts are busy creating carbohydrates. The cuticle layers and epidermal cells also help retain the moisture a leaf needs to perform photosynthesis. The middle layer of a leaf contains the mesophyll cells, where the chloroplasts are located. A single mesophyll cell can hold more than 50 chloroplasts, but, as stated by Watson, it depends on the age, health and species of a given tree. Also located on the bottom layer of the leaf are the stomates, where carbon dioxide enters and oxygen exits. - Trees don't produce food at night.Night time sky and moon image by Heather Ferrebee from Fotolia.com
In a sense, trees and plants go to sleep at night just like the rest of us. Leaves take a break from photosynthesis when their stomata close at night. The stomata close with the help of surrounding guard cells that regulate the rate of transpiration (moisture release). Guard cells are turgid and swollen during the day, which allows the stomata to take in carbon dioxide. When light levels are substantially decreased during the night, guard cells go flaccid, and stomata are closed. Trees are ready to begin the cycle of photosynthesis again at daybreak. - Chlorophyll production slows down in the fall.autumn tree image by Kostyantyn Ivanyshen from Fotolia.com
Trees also store carbohydrates for the fall and winter. This slows their rate of photosynthesis, and the need for constant chloroplast reproduction. This slowed rate of production decreases the amount of chlorophyll in leaves and causes the green hue to give way to the rustic shades of autumn’s palette. In spring, the tree begins to gear itself toward growth and reproduction because the sun is more intense during the summer months. The rigorous schedule of producing the constant flow of life’s energy through photosynthesis is something only trees can do, which is the primary reason for the conservation efforts put in place for their protection.
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