Question

Stomata are little "mouths" on the plant surface for gas exchange. Stomata develop via a highly regulated pattern and are carefully spaced in between non-differentiated cells. Which mechanism is most likely involved in this patterning?

a) lateral inhibtion
b) induction by a diffusible signal
c) cell migration
d) convergent extension

Answer 1

Lateral inhibition is most likely responsible for the patterning of stomata on plant surfaces, which facilitates efficient gas exchange by spacing out the stomata evenly.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mechanism most likely involved in the patterning of stomata is lateral inhibition. In biological systems, lateral inhibition is a process where a cell, once beginning to differentiate into a particular form, inhibits neighboring cells from also differentiating into that same form. In the context of stomata, once a cell is destined to become a stoma, it inhibits adjacent epidermal cells from becoming stomata as well, leading to the regular spacing seen on the leaf surface. This is crucial for efficient gas exchange as stomata control the transpiration of water vapor and the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen.