Water Conservation in Plants

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Practical 7 Title: Water Conservation in Plants Aim: To investigate the structural features of various leaves that assists in the conservation of water. Background Information: Many plants in Australia live in area that experience very little rain and very high temperatures. Water loss occurs through the stomates in the leaves but carbon dioxide uptake also occurs through these structures. These plants cannot simply close the stomates because the mesophyll cells of the leaf require carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Some plants have developed a variety of adaptations that allow them to reduce transpiration from their leaves without having to close their stomates Materials: * * Specimens of a range of Australian native plants showing adaptations to minimise water loss e.g. Eucalyptus, Banksia, Casuarina, Hake and Porcupine grass. * Hand lens * Dropper * Binocular (stereo microscope) * Compound microscope * Prepared slides of porcupine grass Substance of Risk | Nature of Risk | Safety Precaution | Plant leaves/ stems | Some plants may be toxic and there is a risk of an allergic reaction to the plant | Wear safety gloves to prevent contact of plant specimen with the skin | | Some plants may have hairs which may irritate the skin or cause an allergic reaction | Keep plant specimens away from the eyes and face. Handle plant specimens carefully and wear safety goggle and safety gloves to prevent contact of plant specimens with skin and eyes. | Plants with very sharp leaves/spikes | May cause injury to the skin or eyes | Keep plant specimens away from the eyes and face. Handle plant specimens carefully and wear safety goggle and safety gloves to prevent contact of plant specimens with skin and eyes. | Method: 1. Collected samples of leaves/stems from a variety of Australian native plants 2. Examined the leaves

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