STOMA

Stoma

In botany, a stoma is a pore, found in the epidermis of leaves, stems and other organs that is used to control gas exchange. The pore is bordered by a pair of specialized parenchyma cells known as guard cells that are responsible for regulating the size of the opening. The term is also used collectively to refer to an entire stomatal complex, both the pore itself and its accompanying guard cells. Air containing carbon dioxide and oxygen enters the plant through these openings and is used in photosynthesis in the mesophyll cells and respiration, respectively. Oxygen produced as a by-product of photosynthesis diffuses out to the atmosphere through ...

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stoma

Noun

  1. One of the tiny pores in the epidermis of a leaf or stem through which gases and water vapor pass.
  2. A small opening in a membrane; a surgically constructed opening, especially one in the abdominal wall that permits the passage of waste after a colostomy or ileostomy.
  3. A mouthlike opening, such as the oral cavity of a nematode.
  4. An artificial anus.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: stoma
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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