macro of a leaf. did you know that no matter how thin or thick a leaf is, it is structured so that it has five layers: the cuticle on both sides, the upper epidermis, the mesophyll and the lower epidermis. within those layers nature works its magic so that the plant breathes out the oxygen we need to be alive and takes in the carbon dioxide it needs to be alive. i wish i could go back to my biology class in high school and run the risk of getting my ear pinched by good old mrs. nograles, my biology teacher, as i want to ask her: when i eat my veggies raw, does that mean i'm eating carbon dioxide? then i don't only get a pinched ear, she's bound to pinch me in the arm, too, or worse, get me to do an assignment of how the body breaks down a piece of bread from the mouth to the stomach and how the energy from that piece of bread is distributed throughout the body.
in 1968, i actually meant to ask mrs. nograles that question, having a piece of lettuce in the sandwich that i bought at the canteen. but instead i commented on how she had gained weight after she had just had a baby. but because i was her favourite student, she punished me for my rudeness by making me recite how a piece of bread was broken down from the moment it touched our mouth to wherever it went inside the body, complete with all the enzymes that were involved in such breakdown. i don't remember it anymore but she was happy that i was at least listening to her lecture. whew!
by the way, one of the alumni from my high school had seen the little speech i delivered for our high school's founding anniversary. in it, i said that the lessons i learned from my teachers "had been inculcated in my mind that, incredibly enough, i still find some use even today." she (a retired nurse) asked how was biology still relevant and of used to me even to this day, when i'm not even in the medical field. i replied to her that what i learned from my teachers had always been handy in helping children with their homeworks, in crossword puzzles, in parties when participating in conversations, for example. she might have been a good nurse, she was a bright student after all, but she is stupid enough to ask me such a stupid question. the question was taken down quickly as well as my reply. so i added a comment that whenever i am asked a stupid question, i never ever reply with a stupid answer. just like in high school. they haven't taken that down. yet. 🤣
Great macro and narrative. I not sure what I would have thought about being pinched but my punishment was to stand facing the wall with my nose on a chalk mark!! My crime was to laugh in her lesson.
Wall, chalk and nose pressed against it stopped me laughing.
A terrific photo for all the challenges and another great narrative explaining more fascinating aspect of VS. This one deserves to be in a biology or botany book!
@myhrhelper - you mean carbon dioxide. but the plants or vegetables or fruits we eat no longer contain carbon dioxide because the plant only needs it to live.
Interesting close up of the leaf. Lots of little veins and texture. I didn't get to be a smart aleck until college. In anatomy class (college) we had to say how a ham sandwich went through the body. I messed around and really didn't study that lesson and I never did learn how I did on that test. To this day, I couldn't tell you the specifics, except it goes in the top hole and comes out the bottom one.
glad I stopped to read the full narrative here - your conversation with the nurse is priceless. I wish I had taken biology at school - I often have wished so - it really would have been useful , but I was (and am) too squeamish. The leaf structure is a fascinating thing.
February 28th, 2021
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Wall, chalk and nose pressed against it stopped me laughing.