Jigsaw Puzzle: The undersurface of a leaf is tiled with flat cells in a puzzling pattern (outlined in green). This inter-digitating pattern is controlled by antagonistic signaling pathways that make alternating lobes and indentations. Green stomata dot the surface. These are breathing pores, flanked by two kidney shaped guard cells. The red splotches are chloroplasts, that harvest light energy to make plant sugars.
• Blue light/UV-A activates light sensing proteins (phototropins and cryptochromes) which set off a signaling cascade. A proton pump on the cell membrane is activated, making the inside of the cell more negative. This opens voltage-activated potassium channels which let K+ into the guard cells. Water follows the ions (osmosis) and the cells become turgid. This swelling opens the pore. Stomatal opening can be controlled by photosynthesis, drought stress and much more. More images and explanation at: http://goo.gl/5aBFh
Watch: Las estomas – the stomata
The higher magnifications are especially lovely.
Image: Confocal microscopic image of lower surface of Arabidopsis leaf; By D. Page Baluch, Mrinalini Muralidharan and Tsafrir Mor, Arizona State University.
#scienceeveryday
madame scientist's not-so-mad musings 
Wonderful to hear, thank you Keith Phillips 🙂
confocal microscopy has come so far since I was in grad school- such beautiful photos!
mary Zeman , also the technology to tag genes with GFP add to the repertoire of stains. In this image, the green comes from a lipase-GFP fusion construct that outlines the cells so beautifully.
The precise labelling is very impressive.
Very nice, Mahesh Sreekandath . Listening now!
This only makes me love plants even more. They rock.
I have to agree, Michelle Beissel . Although my work deals with animals/humans, I find plant science really cool and interesting.
Feisal Kamil , yes they are! The development of neighboring cells is coordinated so that the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly. As for the pair of guard cells (the kidney shaped ones flanking stoma), they arise from a single cell after division..the wall between them dissolves to leave a pore.
Hello there, Feisal! (Wo)manning Science Sunday for a few hours. Let me know if you see any good/funny candidates in your stream?
Unlike Thomas Kang ‘s stoma post, this one did not degenerate into plant/animal hanky panky 🙂
NASA footage of solar flare? Checking it out now, thanks.
wow, the wall dissolves to leave a pore, that is just fantastic.
Michelle Beissel , there can be no rigid cell wall there anyway, since the pore has to open and close. Just a thin cell membrane is left.
btw I flagged as inappropriate Shiva’s ‘greeting’ since he seems to hate men (one guy in thousands of young women he has circled). lol
Thanks, Michelle Beissel 🙂
I think “vulture” is a useful term to describe this phenomenon Michelle Beissel
and. I’m finally getting the hang of cryptography and physics: Rajini Rao
In retrospect, I don’t think the Big, Bad Wolf was even half as Big, or Bad, as he once professed. Once upon a time, while he was innocently tying up the loose ends of his shabby sheep’s clothing, minding everybody’s business but his own, a blow-torch came along to scorch away those threads… Another incarnation: an Angry Bird rose up from the ashes. He too, was soon to feel the force that through the green fuse drives the flower that could pluck him from his perch.
I’ve got plenty of ash, but sackcloth is hard to find these days.
True masochist: Harder, darling ,harder! I’m… I’m nearly.. So near…
Psychopathic sadist: NEVER!
You might enjoy these posts from computational artist Felix Woitzel https://plus.google.com/u/0/109537605874698880034/posts/PfBwnDknFkp
https://plus.google.com/u/0/109537605874698880034/posts/hVMV4MfQbjc
Thank you, Kevin Clift . Interesting links, both. Adding Felix Woitzel to my circles 🙂
I just posted another of his on a theme that we have both explored in SS; reaction-diffusion. I did not flag it for SS but if you are short of art this week you might wish to consider it, Rajini Rao .
Thanks for the tip, I’ll reshare in an hour or so. We seem to have hit ScienceSunday fatigue! 😛
We have been trending all day, so perhaps our audience is getting a little bit tired?
Perhaps its your magic touch. Edit: the trending every week bit (;
Timely clarification in the edit 😀
Thanks!
merci a ce photo qui a donne la plaisir avec tou le monde
Mon plaisir! 🙂
de rien ce la veritè pardon miss est ce que accepte me invitation pour avons de amis
rajiini sory for theat readin becose i find my self comfortable with you because i know you’re a women through her choice of colour
it is like a blood smear
Great pov as usual.