A leaf is often flat, so it absorbs the most light, and thin, so that the sunlight can get to the chloroplasts in the cells. Parts of a Leaf Diagram. The epidermis aids in the regulation of gas exchange. Describes the structure and function of leaves. A. This sending of water into the air also reduces the temperature. Most plants use their leaves to turn water, carbon dioxide, and light energy into the sugars their cells need to function. Find out more about the role of leaves in this Bitesize Primary KS2 Science guide. Thus the light reflected in space from plants is low. Its main functions are photosynthesis and gas exchange. The structures within the leaf convert the energy and make it possible for the plant to get food. Structures within a leaf convert the energy in sunlight into chemical energy that the plant can use as food. Transpiration. Transpiration is the removal of excess water from the plants into the atmosphere. The process is called photosyn­thesis by which leaf manufactures food material in the presence of sunlight and green pigment- chlorophyll present in the leaf. A typical leaf shows three main parts: 1) petiole, 2) leaf base, and 3) leaf blade or lamina, each performing specific functions. It consists of the upper and lower epidermis, which are present on either side of the leaf. The function of leaves is to help the plant produce food by converting the energy in sunlight into chemical energy that the plant can eat. Leaf Structure and Function. Also Refer: Photosynthesis. Most leaves have stomata, which open and close.They regulate carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapour exchange with the atmosphere. Botanists call the upper side the adaxial surface (or adaxis) and the lower side the abaxial surface (or abaxis). Please update your bookmarks accordingly. Photosynthesis is the primary function of leaves. Manufacture of food. A leaf is an above-ground plant organ and it is green. The functions of modified leaves are not dealt as they carryon spe­cialised functions as discussed earlier. Leaves help absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide (CO2), and a leaf is actually an organ of the plant. 1. Petiole. What do plant leaves do? It is the primary function of green leaves. Since cacti have thick fleshy stems, these took over the job of photosynthesis. Evergreen conifers are some of the oldest trees in the world, and for good reason. Leaves help plants survive through photosynthesis. Without sunlight and CO2, plants would be unable to photosynthesize, so there’s a good reason some plants go a bit crazy on leaf production! Leaf pigments absorb light from the sun and store it in the form of chemical energy. The leaves perform the following functions: Photosynthesis. The outermost layer of the leaf is the epidermis. It is the stalk that connects a leaf to the stem of the plant, it is made of complex conducting tissues called vascular tissues. 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