Preparing a Surface Peel
Chapter 18: Energy, Transport, and Growth in Plants

As you have learned, stomata are pores in a plant's epidermis that allow gas exchange between the plant and its environment. The location and density of the stomata vary depending upon the species of plant. You can determine the location and density of stoma when you…

Try This

---

1. Select a plant with healthy leaves. Gently remove two of the leaves and place them on a paper towel.
2. Paint a thin layer of clear nail polish on the top surface of one of the leaves, and on the bottom surface of the other leaf. Let the nail polish completely dry.
3. Using tweezers, gently peel the layer of nail polish from the top surface of the appropriate leaf. Place the peel in an envelope, labeled top.
4. Repeat Step 3 with the other leaf. Place the peel in an envelope labeled bottom.
5. Take the two leaf peels to your classroom. Observe each peel under a microscope and make sketches of what you observe.

Analyze Your Results

---

1. Using Figure 18.1 on page 422 of your textbook as a guide, label the structures you observed on your sketches.
2. Were the two peels identical? If not, what structures were present on one that were not present on the other?
3. Which surface of the leaf—the top or the bottom—contained stoma?

TOP

Unit 5 Home Page