What is the purpose served by stomata ?
Plants use energy from sunlight to transform carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water from the soil into biomass. This process, called photosynthesis 1, occurs in leaf tissue. The stomata 1 are specially adapted cells on the lower surface of leaves that provide an opening through which carbon dioxide can enter and oxygen can escape. The special feature of stomata is their capacity to close up when the plant is loosing too much water. This prevents water loss (transpiration 1) but also prevents carbon dioxide from entering the leaf. As a result, plants that are under water stress stop growing because they cannot absorb carbon dioxide when their stomata are closed to prevent water loss.
