Cross-section of leaf

A leaf is often referred as a food factory of the plant, as it is in this organ that the bulk of photosynthesis takes place. Leaves show a wide range of shapes and sizes. In the cross-section of a dicot leaf it shows the different parts of the leaf namely the epidermis which covers the upper surface (upper epidermis) and lower surface (lower epidermis) of the leaf. The epidermis is interrupted by a large number of openings called 'Stomata'. The tissue enclosed between the two epidermal layers is called the 'Mesophyll'. The mesophyll consists of 'Palisade parenchyma' and Spongy parenchyma. The vascular bundles i.e. the xylem and the phloem in the leaf are located in the midrib and the veins.