guard cell

Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson

0.12 sec.

guard cell

One of the paired epidermal cells that control the opening and closing of a stoma in plant tissue.

guard cell (gärd)

One of the paired cells in the epidermis of a plant that control the opening and closing of a stoma of a leaf. When swollen with water, guard cells pull apart from each other, opening the stoma to allow the escape of water vapor and the exchange of gases. When drier, guard cells become more flaccid and move closer together, allowing the plant to conserve water. Unlike the other cells in the epidermis, guard cells have chloroplasts and conduct photosynthesis. See more at stoma.

How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.

?Page tools

Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email

Feedback
Add definition

? Mentioned in

? References in periodicals archive

stoma

subsidiary cell

Zeiger and his co-workers now have isolated guard cell chloroplasts and report that they convert light into a cellular fuel, ATP, as do the functional chloroplasts elsewhere in the plants.

Plant 'sight' from pores and pumps by Miller, Julie Ann / Science News

More results

Dictionary/thesaurus browser

? Full browser

Guaranine
guarantee
guaranteed
guarantor
guaranty
guard
guard boat
guard cell
Guard cells
Guard chamber
Guard detail
guard dog
guard duty
guard hair
Guard lock

Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations

Free Tools:	For surfers: Browser extension \| Word of the Day \| Help For webmasters: Free content \| Linking \| Lookup box \| Double-click lookup \| Partner with us

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.