Plant surfaces : Cuticles and hairs
by Chris, 2 June, 2017, 0 comments
Plants need to protect themselves from the vagaries of the environment - they need to prevent or resist the entry of disease pathogens (bacteria, fungi and viruses) and also restrict the loss of water from their tissues. The flow of water through a plant (the transpiration stream) is important in the supply of minerals to the growing regions and the ’control' of leaf temperature (as water evaporates it uses heat energy - exerting a cooling effect).
However, uncontrolled water loss would soon result in wilting and death, so the outer layer of plants - the epidermis, has a special layer, the cuticle. The cuticle is made from waxes, which often form complex and intricate patterns (when viewed with an electron microscope). Read more...
