Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-r7xzm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-27T17:43:49.675Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

6 - Stomata

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2014

Hamlyn G. Jones
Affiliation:
University of Dundee
Get access

Summary

The evolution of the stomatal apparatus was one of the most important steps in the early colonisation of the terrestrial environment. Even though the stomatal pores when fully open occupy between about 0.5 and 5% of the leaf surface, almost all the water transpired by plants, as well as the CO2 absorbed in photosynthesis, passes through these pores. It is only in rare cases, such as in the fern ally Stylites from the Peruvian Andes, that significant CO2 may be absorbed through the roots (Keeley et al., 1984). The central role of the stomata in regulating water vapour and CO2 exchange by plant leaves is illustrated in Figure 6.1. This figure also shows some of the complex feedback and feedforward control loops that are involved in the control of stomatal apertures and hence of diffusive conductance; these are discussed in Section 6.6.1. It is the extreme sensitivity of the stomata to both environmental and internal physiological factors that enables them to operate in a manner that optimises the balance between water loss and CO2 uptake.

This chapter outlines the fundamental aspects of stomatal physiology, their occurrence in plants, their morphology, their response to environmental factors and mechanics of operation, including a description of the various control loops illustrated in Figure 6.1. The role of the stomata in the control of photosynthesis and of water loss is discussed in more detail in Chapters 7 and 10.

Type
Chapter
Information
Plants and Microclimate
A Quantitative Approach to Environmental Plant Physiology
, pp. 122 - 152
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Stomata
  • Hamlyn G. Jones, University of Dundee
  • Book: Plants and Microclimate
  • Online publication: 05 June 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511845727.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Stomata
  • Hamlyn G. Jones, University of Dundee
  • Book: Plants and Microclimate
  • Online publication: 05 June 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511845727.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Stomata
  • Hamlyn G. Jones, University of Dundee
  • Book: Plants and Microclimate
  • Online publication: 05 June 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511845727.007
Available formats
×