Choices! What will it be? #23 || Leaf

A vibrant living organism that takes control of the world as a whole. It has veins like those of humans and exist in various forms especially like a love shape. It obtains its food very easily without moving in search for it. It's one of the most beautiful and popular living thing on earth. Without it, humans won't be in existence. We use it as a means of survival but sometimes don't take care of it. What could this be? You guessed right.... It's a 4 letters word called Leaf

Nothing natural impresses me more than the leaves and the beautiful children it brings forth which are the flowers. Without it, they'll be no food because the trees we see today started from leaves, the flowers, leaves, the bushes, leaves, our food, leaves. Everything is just about the four letter word, leaf. Let me tell you more.

Leaf has a begining but will never have an end. It's this green, vibrant colored, veiny, flattened blade organ of a plant attached to it's stem. They vary in shape and has different sizes across the various plant species we have. It's an uncountable living thing and doesn't have limited growth. New leaves grow everyday and old ones dies off.

There's a process called photosynthesis and it's only because of leaves this process can occur. Plants through their leaves absorb sunlight, convert it, carbon dioxide and water into useful energy for animals and humans use.

Leaves are called the nature's solar panel because they capture this sunlight and convert it into energy which can be very useful for man just as solar panels are useful to man in their homes. Just like humans and other living organism, these leaves have characteristics that make it unique.

Everything on earth has a feature that makes it special and different from others. Leaf isn't an exception. In fact, its features surpasses all.

• Green Color: Many may wonder why leaves are just green. Why aren't they red, or white or blue or purple? Yes, they are leaves that actually have these colours but in general, leaves are known for their green colour. Why? It's because of the presence of chlorophyll pigment in it which is responsible for capturing energy from the sun during the photosynthetic process.
  
  _{photo from my Redmi phone - green color}

• Veins: Humans have veins and so does leaves. These veins are responsible for the transportation of water, nutrients and other valuables to the leaves just as veins supply blood to the heart. You may wonder, where are the veins? Pluck a leaf a check if you'll see a long line that divides it and also other lines attached to the central line. These veins are divided into net and parallel venation. |
  _{photo from my Redmi phone - veins}

• Cuticle: There's this white waterproof layer we sometimes see in leaves when we tear it. It's called the cuticle. It's sometimes white and sometimes transparent. It prevent water loss from plants and also protect by the leaf from environmental hazards.

_{photo from my Redmi phone - cuticle}

• Leaf blade: This particular feature is seen in all leaves. The end of the leaf shoes the leaf blade where most photosynthetic activity occur.

• Flattened and has various sizes: Leaves are always flattened in shape which allows photosynthesis to occur on the leave. It also appear in different forms and sizes.

• Its adaptation in various places and weather conditions is worth emulating. It can adapt even in the most dry or wet place.

_{photo from my Redmi phone- leaf blade}

How are leaves useful to us as a whole are how are they responsible for our lives.?

Leaves are very beneficial to us a a whole. Like I said earlier, without leaves, there would be no life on earth. Life started with Leaves.

Food: All our food asides water are sourced from leaves and the plant that accommodate these leaves. Without plants, leaves won't grow and without leaves, plants, flowers and fruits won't be in existence. Take a look at the fruit tree, the plantain, rice, beans, banana etc. All these are products of leaves because without the leaves, plant would be able to manufacture food for these plant produce to survive and grow. Thanks to leaf for food.

_{photo from my Redmi phone}

• Medicine: I can recall one of my neighborhood seeking guava and sour sop leaves to use as a prevention for malaria. How impressive.! The drugs we take today are products of leaves turned to the drugs we use today.

• The shades we see today which most times prevent the sun's scourge as well as heavy wind from destroying things are sourced from leaves.

• They are also used for composting in terms of manure for plants growth. How absurd? Dead leaves are used to make new ones alive.

Letter writing in high school to avoid being noticed

Everything in life has advantages and disadvantages. Too much of everything out people say is a disease. The advantages are;

• they convert sunlight into useful energy today which helps in reproduction, Growth for plants and oxygen for all life on earth....

• Some plants store their nutrients like carbohydrates and sugar in their leaves helping them survive in adverse conditions.

• Leaves also act as a protection with developed structure like spines and thorns, preventing herbivores from consuming the plant itself.

• Leaves can survive or adapt to various environmental conditions which enhances it longetivity.

The disadvantages are;

• Leaves are very susceptible to herbivores and other organisms in the soil and can get damaged or consumed by these organisms which deter its photosynthetic process. No leaves, no photosynthesis. The plant dies.

• It's most at times vulnerable to diseases like fungi and bacteria that's why some people spray insecticide on the leaves to expand the plant's lifespan.

• It's most times susceptible to water loss through transpiration which can deter its growth in environments that faces severe droughts.

_{Do you know that leaves are used to make the antibiotics and malaria medicine we take today? Do you know that leaves are plant's solar panel?
Leaves in general can be used for various purposes. In as much as we benefit from this creation, we should dedicate time to care for them as well as observe them intensely in appreciation.}

I invite @emmyjnr, @emmy01 and @bettymikki

Cc,
@patjewell