Leaves and light capture: Light propagation and gradients of carbon fixation within leaves

The optical properties of leaves are remarkable: leaf epidermal cells commonly focus light; palisade cells channel light; and the intercellular air spaces intensely scatter light, which increases the probability for absorption for photosynthesis. New and sophisticated experimental techniques now make it possible to study how light behaves within the cell layers of a leaf and to measure internal gradients in photo-synthetic capacity. Thus, it is now possible to examine how variations in leaf anatomy can maximize photosynthetic performance in a wide variety of species and habitats.