Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
What Do Plants Release Into the Air?
What Do Plants Release Into the Air?. Plants respire through microscopic pores in the underside of their leaves; these pores are called stomata. Plants can open or close their stomata to regulate the amount of gas exchange that takes place.
Plants respire through microscopic pores in the underside of their leaves; these pores are called stomata. Plants can open or close their stomata to regulate the amount of gas exchange that takes place.
Types
There are three kinds of gases that plants release through their stomata: carbon dioxide, oxygen and water vapor. Each of these gases is a byproduct of a process essential to the plant's survival.
Function
Plants produce carbon dioxide through cellular respiration. The amount of CO2 they release, however, is much less than the amount of CO2 they consume through photosynthesis. Photosynthesis releases oxygen gas as a byproduct and the oxygen diffuses out through the stomata of the leaves. Plants also lose water vapor through their stomata; this process of water loss is called transpiration.
Effects
Transpiration is essential to plants; in combination with the high surface tension of water, it creates negative pressure that draws water up the plant's stem and from the roots. Although it decreases their rate of growth, many plants will nonetheless close their stomata in response to stress caused by drought to avoid drying out.
