Student Research - Anatomy of a Leaf

Cover-Leave it to Leaves

Anatomy of a Leaf

If you cut through a leaf and looked at it under a microscope, you would see three different parts:

Epidermis – This see-through skin protects the leaf and helps it breathe.

Mesophyll – The part of the leaf where green chlorophyll changes sunlight into stuff the plant can use for food.

Veins – Veins carry water and the food the leaf made (called "glucose") to other parts of the plant.

If the veins in a single elm leaf were put end on end they would measure 700 feet long! That would be like putting about 50 cars in a row. WOW! That’s amazing...we're talking about ONE leaf! 

Check out this great photo of leaf veins: http://www.backyardnature.net/leafvein.htm

 

Leaves and Colors =>