NAME______________

PERIOD______________
DATE______________
LAB GROUP #______________
STOMATA LAB
INTRODUCTION
In this lab, you will be looking at the stomata from three different leaves. You
will work with your lab group to prepare samples, view the stomata, and draw
conclusions about the environment that these plants grew in and evolved in. Before
you begin, you will need to write a hypothesis and decide how you will collect and
analyze data.

PRE-LAB QUESTIONS
What is density? What is the formula used to describe the stomatal density of a
leaf? (Hint: if you are not sure, look at your reading)
Density = mass/volume
Stomatal Density = stomata/area
What information will your group need to collect so that you can calculate stomatal
density?
Our group will need to find the area in single scope view and number of
stomata in a single scope view for each leaf. We will count the number of
stomata in three single scope views for each leaf.
Question: Choose a question to answer.

How does the position of the leaf on the tree affect stomatal density? (you
will sample leaves from one tree)

How does leaf size affect stomatal density? (you will sample leaves from
one tree)

How does the stomatal density of the leaves on three different trees
compare?
Hypothesis: Write your hypothesis here.

Ex 1.
The smaller leaf the lower the stomatal density will be. The larger the
leaf the higher the stomatal density will be.
Ex 2. The shiniest leaf will have the highest stomatal density. The least shiny leaf
will have the lowest stomatal density.
Procedures:
1. Follow your teachers instructions for gathering different leaves.
2. Brush the underside (the dull side) of one of your leaves with nail polish.
Allow the nail polish to dry completely.
3. Apply a piece of tape to the patch of dried nail polish.
4. Gently peel the tape off of the leaf. The nail polish should come off of the leaf
and be stuck on the tape.
5. Press the tape onto a microscope slide. Label the slides.
6. Use 40x magnification to view the stomata of the leaf. Count the stomata
within your field of view for each leaf.
Results: Create a table below to record your data.
Sample 1
Leave
height
on tree

#
stomat
a leaf 1

#
stomat
a leaf 2

#
stomat
a leaf 3

Averag
e
numbe
r of
stomat
a

Stomat
al
density

4 feet
6 feet
8 feet
Sample 2
Tree

Acacia
Mesquite

# stomata
leaf 1

# stomata
leaf 2

# stomata
leaf 3

Average
number of
stomata

Stomatal
density

Conclusions:
Restatement of purpose
Summary of procedures and findings
Conclusion: was the hypothesis correct or incorrect
Possible sources of error (procedural errors, measurement errors, sample
size, ect)
Future investigations

Sample conclusion:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between tree height
and stomatal density. Mesquite leaves from various heights were sampled. On
average, leaves taken from 4 feet off of the ground had a stomatal density of ____,
leaves from 6 feet off of the ground had a stomatal density of ______, and leaves
from 8 feet off of the ground had a stomatal density of _______. The results indicate
that the hypothesis was correct; the position of leaves on trees affects (or does not
affect) the stomatal density. The higher leaves are on trees, the ______________ the
stomatal density. Small sample size may have affected results. Future studies
should include a larger sample size in order to strengthen the findings.

Assessing Your Learning

1. Describe the differences between the stomata of the different leaves.
Ex. The stomata of the grass seemed long and had thick ends like dumbbells. The
stomata of the oak tree were shaped more like kidney beans. In addition the
stomata of the grass were larger than the stomata of the grass.

2. Which leaf do you think is best adapted to the desert? Why?

I think the leaf with the lowest stomatal density is best adapted to the desert. A
plant in a wet area would evolve to have many stomata so that it can release a lot
of water. A plant in a dry area would need to conserve its water. It would have
fewer stomata so that it would not transpire as much water.

3. How would you expect the stomata of a leaf respond to a drought? What
about a flood? Why?
In a drought the stomata would close so that less water would be lost to
transpiration. By doing this the plant would produce less food, but be able to
prevent drying out irreparably. Conversely, in a flood a plant would open its
stomata so that it could transpire as much water as possible. This would allow it to
deplete the water surrounding its roots so that it can access oxygen and so that the
roots do not rot.
4. What factors other than water would affect whether stomata are open or
closed?
Stomata are used by plants to intake CO 2 through their stomata. CO2 is required for
plants to produce food. Sometimes plants must open their stomata to take in CO 2
even if it puts them at risk of losing too much water.
5. Why would a scientist be interested in studying stomata? What do you think
a scientist could tell about the environment based on stomata?
A scientist could learn about the type of environment that a tree is adapted to by
looking at stomata. They also might be able to learn about recent weather
conditions in an area based on what stomata are doing. If a scientist wanted to

understand how much water an ecosystem is transpiring, they might be able to

estimate transpiration based on stomatal density.