In this deck, we'll explore the structure of a leaf, which is a plant's primary organ for photosynthesis. We'll look at how its different tissues are perfectly adapted for this job, starting from the outside and working our way in.

Most leaves have two main features that make them excellent at capturing sunlight. They have a large surface area to absorb as much light as possible, and they are very thin, which allows gases to diffuse in and out quickly.

Let's start our tour of the leaf from the very top. The outer surface is covered by a waxy cuticle. This is a waterproof layer that stops the leaf from losing too much water through evaporation.