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Leaf strip of lower epidermis, detail
Legend:
1 epidermal cells
3 thickening of the cell wall of guard cells
4 chloroplasts in guard cells
5 subsidiary cells
2 guard cells of a stoma
English name: Corn / Maize
Scientific name: Zea mays
Familia: Gramineae
Classis: Monocotyledonas
Phylum: Angiospermae
Regnum: Plantae
The cells of the under epidermis are longitudinal and lack chloroplasts. In contrast, the narrow halter-shaped guard cells do contain chloroplasts; their cell wall is thickened. The triangular subsidiary cells support the function of guard cells in opening and closing stomata. A few chloroplasts from remnants of subepidermal layers can be distinguished in the leaf strip.
