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Essay / The importance of plants in the environment - 533
Plants play a crucial role in the environment. They are the pillars of life on earth and constitute an essential resource of all living organisms. Plants provide humans with the food they need to survive, both directly and indirectly. They provide a habitat resource not only for humans but also for a myriad of species with different uses. In addition, oxygen is provided by plants, as a by-product of photosynthesis through the different processes and cycles present in the cell. Stomata are one of the parts of the cell that allows oxygen, carbon dioxide and water to enter and exit a leaf and also facilitates the process of transpiration. This phenomenon occurs in parallel with the exchange of gases through these pores. When gases exit through these pores, they carry water vapor with them. A stomata is a microscopic pore on the surface of plants. It is surrounded by a pair of specialized epidermal cells called guard cells. The guard cells are responsible for opening and closing the stoma. A number of environmental conditions will affect stomatal opening (Zeiger et al., 1987). They are v...