Stomatal design principles in synthetic and real leaves.

ABSTRACT: Stomata are portals in plant leaves that control gas exchange for photosynthesis, a process fundamental to life on Earth. Gas fluxes and plant productivity depend on external factors such as light, water and CO₂ availability and on the geometrical properties of the stoma pores. The link between stoma geometry and environmental factors has informed a wide range of scientific fields-from agriculture to climate science, where observed variations in stoma size and density are used to infer prehistoric atmospheric CO₂ content. However, the physical mechanisms and design principles responsible for major trends in stomatal patterning are not well understood. Here, we use a combination of biomimetic experiments and theory to rationalize the observed changes in stoma geometry.

SUBMITTER: Zwieniecki MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5134010 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature