Think about the word stomata. Which clues in the article helped you understand what stomata are? List the clues you found. Then write what you think stomata means.

Question

Mysteries of the Plant World
News: Science Scene

A leaf has a tiny green mouth? Plants make strange popping noises?

Scientists say they do. The mouth and popping noises are part of two different important studies about plants. These studies could one day help feed the planet.

Some scientists in California came out with a video of the green mouth in December 2022. The mouth is actually a tiny opening called a stoma. Scientists knew that plants have thousands of stomata per leaf. Now people can see a stoma in action.

Scientists also knew that stomata take in carbon dioxide from the air. The carbon dioxide combines with water drawn up from the plant's roots. Then, the plant uses sunlight to turn the two ingredients into nutrients that help it grow. But there's a problem. When stomata open to let in the carbon dioxide, some water escapes. This can dry out a plant. So, stomata must stay open long enough to let in enough carbon dioxide. But they must close before the plant loses too much water.

How do stomata balance these two things? Each stoma has proteins. These determine the level of carbon dioxide present in the environment. When there's a small amount, the stoma needs to stay open longer. That way it can take in what the plant needs. One protein signals the stoma to do so. The study found that when the carbon dioxide level is high, a pair of different proteins blocks that signal. This makes the stoma close sooner. That's how the plant keeps as much water as possible.

Knowing how stomata work will allow scientists to create new crops. These will be able to survive two problems of a planet that's heating up: more droughts and higher levels of carbon dioxide.

The second study, the one with the popping plants, came out in March 2023. Researchers placed ultrasound microphones near the plants in different settings. Then they stopped watering some of the plants. And they cut the stems off others. These plants made several pops per hour. They sounded like popcorn being popped. The scientists could tell what caused the pops among different plants.

The sounds do not mean that the plants were in pain. Scientists believe that the pops are likely caused by air bubbles. These form when water from the roots goes to the leaves. Humans can't hear the sounds. However, insects and animals probably can. So, an animal looking for a plant dinner might hear the popping. That would tell it to choose a juicier plant.

Using ultrasound devices to hear these sounds might help farmers. They could know which crops are most in need of watering. This knowledge would be especially useful in a drought. And so, from the secret lives of plants may blossom ways to improve human life in a changing environment.

Answer 1

Clues about Stomata in the Article:

1. "The mouth is actually a tiny opening called a stoma."
2. "Scientists knew that plants have thousands of stomata per leaf."
3. "Stomata take in carbon dioxide from the air."
4. "The carbon dioxide combines with water drawn up from the plant's roots."
5. "When stomata open to let in the carbon dioxide, some water escapes."
6. "Stomata must stay open long enough to let in enough carbon dioxide, but they must close before the plant loses too much water."
7. "Each stoma has proteins that determine the level of carbon dioxide present in the environment."
8. "When there's a small amount [of carbon dioxide], the stoma needs to stay open longer."
9. "When the carbon dioxide level is high, a pair of different proteins blocks that signal, making the stoma close sooner."

What I Think Stomata Means: Stomata are tiny openings on the surfaces of plant leaves that allow the plant to take in carbon dioxide from the air for photosynthesis while also regulating water loss. They play a crucial role in balancing the intake of essential gases and the conservation of water, which is vital for the plant's survival and growth.