12. How do the various leaf modifications help plants?
12. How do the various leaf modifications help plants?

Solution:

Leaves fundamentally perform photosynthesis. But in some plants, leaves are modified to carry out different functionalities, mentioned as below:

Tendrils: As with peas, tendrils aid in climbing.

Thorns: Thorns are modified leaves that serve as a defensive organ for plants against animals.

Pitcher: This plant’s leaves have been changed into pitcher-like structures that carry digestive secretions that help capture and digest insects.

Food synthesis: Garlic and onion fleshy leaves store some food. These are leaves that have been altered. Food is synthesised by phyllodes that emerge from the petioles of leaves. The flattened, green structures that replace the short-lived leaves are called phyllodes.