Stomates (or stomas) are openings on the underside of a leaf, which allow gases to pass in and out of the leaf. The pictures show these stomates as narrow gaps. Two guard cells control the size of the opening. The guard cells have chloroplasts, which are visible as dark dots in the cell. During the day the stomates open to allow carbon dioxide gas to enter the leaf. During night the stomates close to minimize the loss of water vapor from the leaf.
Epidermis of a Tulip showing Stomates
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You’ve probably already done this, but I’ve always enjoyed this experiment: since the guard cells rely on the concentration of potassium ions to open or close, one can manipulate the stomata to open or close by soaking the leaf in a salt water solution or a distilled water solution. I forget which solution opens or closes the guard cell, but it’s certainly an interesting experiment!