mesophyll

[ mez-uh-fil, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh- ]

/ ˈmɛz ə fɪl, ˈmɛs-, ˈmi zə-, -sə- /

noun Botany.

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

Nearby words

mesophil, mesophile, mesophilic, mesophlebitis, mesophryon, mesophyll, mesophyte, mesoplankton, mesoporphyrin, mesopotamia, mesopotamian

Origin of mesophyll

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

Related forms

mes·o·phyl·lic, mes·o·phyl·lous, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mesophyll

In longitudinal sections, the cells, except of the mesophyll (green tissue) are much elongated.
Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany|Douglas Houghton Campbell
It is of interest to note the occurrence of precisely similar elements in the mesophyll of Lepidodendron leaves.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7|Various

British Dictionary definitions for mesophyll

mesophyll

/ (ˈmɛsəʊˌfɪl) /

noun

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

Derived Forms

mesophyllic or mesophyllous, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for mesophyll

mesophyll

[ mĕz′ə-fĭl′ ]

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.