mesophyll
/ˈmɛzəfɪl/
noun
- The inner tissue of a leaf, located between the upper and lower layers, where photosynthesis takes place.
- Damage to the mesophyll can reduce a plant's ability to produce food.
- In many plants, the mesophyll is divided into palisade and spongy layers.
- The mesophyll contains most of the leaf's chloroplasts.