How are leaves adapted to help plants?
Activity: Leaves and microscopes
Being very careful, cut as thin a slice of the plant leaf as you can. place it flat on a microscope slide and add 2-3 drops of stain. Leave the stain to soak in for a few minutes before adding a coverslip then view under the microscope.
When you have focussed-in, make a detailed sketch of what you can see, and label as best you can using the diagram below as a guide.
Paint a 1 cm2 using clear nail varnish on the bottom of the leaf, allow the nail varnish to dry then carefully peel off, mount flat on a microscope slide and view under the microscope.
When you have focussed-in, make a detailed sketch of what you can see.
Fill a small beaker with boiling water. Using tweezers, lower a second leaf into the boiling water. Where do bubbles appear, and why?
Use what you have already learnt to explain what is happening underneath the diagrams you have already made.
Can You:
> identify the different parts of a leaf,
> explain why parts of the leaf are where they are,
> explain how gasses get into and out of leaves.