mesophyll

American  

[mez-uh-fil, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh-] / ˈmɛz ə fɪl, ˈmɛs-, ˈmi zə-, -sə- /

noun

Botany.

1. the parenchyma, usually containing chlorophyll, that forms the interior parts of a leaf.

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mesophyll British  

/ ˈmɛsəʊˌfɪl /

noun

1. the soft chlorophyll-containing tissue of a leaf between the upper and lower layers of epidermis: involved in photosynthesis

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mesophyll Scientific  

/ mĕz′ə-fĭl′ /

1. The tissues of a leaf that are located in between the layers of epidermis and carry on photosynthesis, consisting of the palisade layer and the spongy parenchyma. Most mesophyll cells contain chloroplasts.

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Other Word Forms

• mesophyllic
  adjective
• mesophyllous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mesophyll

First recorded in 1830–40; meso- + -phyll

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mesophyll

C4 plants recruit bundle sheath cells, which normally serve as leaf vein support, to photosynthesize alongside mesophyll cells.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2024

Around 95% of plants use C3 photosynthesis, in which mesophyll cells -- green spongy cells that live inside leaves -- turn light, water, and carbon dioxide into plant-powering sugars.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2024

The sensors can enter leaves through pores called stomata and take up residence in the mesophyll -- the layer where most photosynthesis takes place.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2024

Carbon dioxide enters a mesophyll cell and is fixed immediately by rubisco, leading to the formation of three PGA molecules, which contain three carbons.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

When the section passed through the whitish dots, the grains of chlorophyll were seen to be more or less discoloured, and some of the palisade and mesophyll cells contained nothing but broken down granular matter.

From The formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms, with observations on their habits by Darwin, Charles