... organism. It is also characteristic of trees to grow to a height that exceeds twenty feet, or six meters. Another important characteristic of trees are its leaves, the main inhabitants of the canopy and the functional parts of it. The specific structures of a leaf can be found below. Leaf structure is a relevant subject which needs a certain understanding. The leaf itself is comprised of several layers. From the outside in, there is the cuticle, upper epidermis, palisade mesophyll, spongy mesophyll, and then the lower epidermis. The cuticle is the waxy, protective layer that helps prevent water loss by preventing the water in the plant's tissues from evaporating. Right underneath the cuticle, where most of the light energy is received, is the upper epidermal layer. The upper epidermis is also the layer where the wax surface may be produced. Directly below that lies the palisade mesophyll. This important layer ...

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