mesophyll

[ mez-uh-fil, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh- ]

nounBotany.
  1. the parenchyma, usually containing chlorophyll, that forms the interior parts of a leaf.

Origin of mesophyll

1
First recorded in 1830–40; meso- + -phyll

Other words from mesophyll

  • mes·o·phyl·lic, mes·o·phyl·lous, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for mesophyll

mesophyll

/ (ˈmɛsəʊˌfɪl) /


noun
  1. the soft chlorophyll-containing tissue of a leaf between the upper and lower layers of epidermis: involved in photosynthesis

Derived forms of mesophyll

  • mesophyllic or mesophyllous, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for mesophyll

mesophyll

[ mĕzə-fĭl′ ]


  1. The tissues of a leaf that are located in between the layers of epidermis and carry on photosynthesis, consisting of the palisade layer and the spongy parenchyma. Most mesophyll cells contain chloroplasts.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.