Q12. Describe the internal structure of a dorsiventral leaf with the help of labelled diagrams.
Dorsiventral leaves are found in dicots. The vertical section of a dorsiventral leaf contains three distinct parts.
[1] Epidermis: Epidermis is present on both the upper surface (adaxial epidermis) and the lower surface (abaxial epidermis). The epidermis on the outside is covered with a thick cuticle. Abaxial epidermis bears more stomata than the adaxial epidermis.
[2] Mesophyll: Mesophyll is a tissue of the leaf present between the adaxial and abaxial epidermises. It is differentiated into the palisade parenchyma (composed of tall, compactly-placed cells) and the spongy parenchyma (comprising oval or round, loosely-arranged cells with inter cellular spaces). Mesophyll contains the chloroplasts which perform the function of photosynthesis. [3] Vascular system: The vascular bundles present in leaves are conjoint and closed. They are surrounded by thick layers of bundle-sheath cells.
