Palisade cell

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Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Palisade cells are a type of leaf tissues and can be found within the mesophyll in leaves of dicotyledonous plants. They contain chloroplasts, which convert the energy stored in photons to chemical energy through photosynthesis.

Palisade cells show various adaptations: first, their cylindrical shape, which allows maximum absorption of light by chloroplasts. Second, these cells produce carbohydrates in greater quantities than are needed by each cell; these carbohydrates are fed into a wide variety of metabolic pathways and are vital to the functioning of the plant. Third, the palisade mesophyll contains the largest per-cell number of chloroplasts in the plant; usually positioned towards the upper surface of the leaf in order to harness the greatest amount of energy possible.

Palisade cells are placed all over the top of a leaf, maximising the extent of light absorption. As a result, the top of a leaf is often darker than the bottom.