explain how epidermal cells are structurally suited for their function
Answers
You may have heard at some point that your skin is the largest organ in your body. Besides being large, your skin is very important because it protects everything underneath it from disease, temperature, and other physical damage that may occur.
Much like your skin, a plant has a tissue system, a group of cells that work together for a very specific function, that form the first line of defense against physical damage and disease. This tissue system is called the dermal tissue system, and it is the plant's outer protective coating.
The dermal system itself consists of a layer of tightly packed cells called the epidermis. On most plant stems and leaves, the epidermis is covered with a waxy coating called the cuticle, which helps prevent water loss through the epidermis.
Structure
Plant epidermis is unique because it is actually two different layers of cells: the upper epidermis and the lower epidermis.
Sandwiched in between these two layers are two other important tissue systems - the vascular tissue system and the ground tissue system. The vascular tissue system provides water and nutrient transport from the roots to other parts of the plant. The ground tissue system, also called the mesophyll, is specialized for photosynthesis, the process by which the plant converts sunlight into usable chemical energy.
But if the epidermis covers the mesophyll, how does photosynthesis occur here? The epidermis is actually interrupted by small pores called stomata. These openings allow the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen, which powers photosynthesis. Stomata are controlled by guard cells, which regulate the extent to which the stomata are open or closed.