Identifying Leaf Structures in a Dicotyledonous Plant (Cambridge International IGCSE Biology)

Exam board Cambridge International · IGCSEUpdated 2026-08-26

Spec point — 6.1.11 · Identify in diagrams and images the following structures in the leaf of a dicotyledonous plant: chloroplasts, cuticle, guard cells and stomata, upper and lower epidermis, palisade mesophyll, spongy mesophyll, air spaces, vascular bundles, xylem and phloem Explain how the structures adapt leaves for photosynthesis

Identifying leaf structures in a dicotyledonous plant

The following structures should be identifiable in the leaf of a dicotyledonous plant:
- Chloroplasts
- Cuticle
- Guard cells
- Stomata
- Upper and lower epidermis
- Palisade mesophyll
- Spongy mesophyll
- Air spaces
- Vascular bundles (xylem and phloem)

Diagram of a leaf cross-section labelling upper and lower epidermis, mesophyll tissues, vascular bundle, air spaces and guard cells, plus a palisade plant cell

Diagram showing the cross-section of a leaf

Diagram illustrating a leaf cross-section as would be seen with an electron microscope, labelled waxy cuticle, upper and lower epidermis, palisade and spongy mesophyll layers, and guard cells near the lower surface

* An electron micrograph of a leaf*

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