Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the epidermis of plant leaves is the site of this exchange of gasses. A single opening is called a stoma—derived from the Greek word for “mouth.” Stomata open and close in response to a variety of environmental cues.

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

The xylem of vascular plants distributes water and dissolved minerals that are taken up by the roots to the rest of the plant. The cells that transport xylem sap are dead upon maturity, and the movement of xylem sap is a passive process.

Responses to Heat and Cold Stress

Responses to Heat and Cold Stress

Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.

Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water. It depends on the quantity of solute that does not penetrate the membrane. Tonicity delimits the magnitude and direction of osmosis and results in three possible scenarios that alter the volume of a cell: hypertonicity, hypotonicity, and isotonicity. Due to differences in structure and physiology, tonicity of plant cells is different from that of animal cells in some scenarios.Plants and Hypotonic EnvironmentsUnlike animal cells,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Temperature Acclimation of Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Carboxylation Capacity From Near-Instantaneous to Weekly Time Scales.

Plant, cell & environment·2026

Same author

Plant Root Architectural Traits Mediate a Trade-Off Between Suppression and Tolerance of Competitors.

Ecology and evolution·2026

Same author

The legacy of the paleotropical flora belt: extreme continental vicariance and island refugia in Woodwardioid ferns.

Molecular phylogenetics and evolution·2026

Same author

Divergent Phosphorus-Mining Strategies in Simple and Compound Cluster Roots in Extremely Phosphorus-Impoverished Soils in Southwest Australia.

Plant, cell & environment·2025

Same author

Limited efficacy of a commercial microbial inoculant for improving growth and physiological performance of native plant species.

Conservation physiology·2024

Same author

Plant interactions can lead to emergent relationships between plant community diversity, productivity and vulnerability to invasion.

Scientific reports·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Published on: October 12, 2015

Stomatal crypts have small effects on transpiration: a numerical model analysis.

Anita Roth-Nebelsick¹, Foteini Hassiotou, Erik J Veneklaas

¹State Museum for Natural History Stuttgart, D-70101 Stuttgart, Germany. rothnebelsick.smns@naturkundemuseum-bw.de

Plant Physiology

|October 30, 2009

Summary

Leaf crypts with trichomes likely do not primarily reduce transpiration. This study used 3D models to show minimal impact on gas exchange, questioning their arid adaptation role.

More Related Videos

Measurement of Leaf Hydraulic Conductance and Stomatal Conductance and Their Responses to Irradiance and Dehydration Using the Evaporative Flux Method (EFM)

Measurement of Leaf Hydraulic Conductance and Stomatal Conductance and Their Responses to Irradiance and Dehydration Using the Evaporative Flux Method (EFM)

Published on: December 31, 2012

Identification of Novel Regulators of Plant Transpiration by Large-Scale Thermal Imaging Screening in Helianthus Annuus

Identification of Novel Regulators of Plant Transpiration by Large-Scale Thermal Imaging Screening in Helianthus Annuus

Published on: January 30, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits

Published on: October 12, 2015

Measurement of Leaf Hydraulic Conductance and Stomatal Conductance and Their Responses to Irradiance and Dehydration Using the Evaporative Flux Method (EFM)

Measurement of Leaf Hydraulic Conductance and Stomatal Conductance and Their Responses to Irradiance and Dehydration Using the Evaporative Flux Method (EFM)

Published on: December 31, 2012

Identification of Novel Regulators of Plant Transpiration by Large-Scale Thermal Imaging Screening in Helianthus Annuus

Identification of Novel Regulators of Plant Transpiration by Large-Scale Thermal Imaging Screening in Helianthus Annuus

Published on: January 30, 2020

Area of Science:

Plant Physiology
Computational Biology
Ecology

Background:

Stomata in crypts with trichomes are often assumed to reduce water loss in arid environments.
However, empirical data on the precise effect of these structures on gas exchange is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify the impact of stomatal crypts and trichomes on transpiration using computational fluid dynamics.
To evaluate the functional significance of crypts and trichomes in relation to plant water conservation.

Main Methods:

Developed 3D Finite Element models of encrypted stomata based on Banksia ilicifolia.
Utilized Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to simulate gas exchange under various conditions.
Varied stomatal and crypt architectural parameters in the models.

Main Results:

Stomatal crypts reduced transpiration by less than 15% for open or partially closed stomata compared to superficial stomata.
Trichomes within the crypt showed negligible impact on transpiration rates.
Significant reductions in transpiration were only observed in models with unrealistically high stomatal conductances.

Conclusions:

The primary function of stomatal crypts and associated trichomes is unlikely to be transpiration reduction.
The effectiveness of crypts in reducing water loss is limited under realistic physiological conditions.
Further research is needed to explore alternative functions of these complex leaf structures.