Question

A florist decided to paint the leaves of some poinsettia plants with a gold paint to embellish them. The plant soon wilted, and the leaves drooped. Make a claim to correctly explain what biological effect caused this damage.

a) The gold paint blocked stomata, disrupting gas exchange and causing wilting.
b) The gold paint attracted pests that damaged the leaves, leading to wilting.
c) The gold paint absorbed sunlight excessively, dehydrating the plant.
d) The gold paint altered the pH of the leaves, inhibiting photosynthesis and causing wilting.

Answer 1

The florist's poinsettias wilted due to gold paint blocking the stomata, preventing transpiration and gas exchange, ultimately inhibiting photosynthesis and the plant's ability to maintain cell turgidity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The wilting of the florist's poinsettias after painting the leaves with gold paint can be attributed to the obstruction of the stomata. Stomata are small openings on the surface of leaves that are essential for transpiration and gas exchange. When the stomata are clogged, as in this case due to a layer of paint, the plant cannot effectively regulate water loss nor can it perform necessary gas exchanges for photosynthesis. Without the ability to pull water from the soil through transpiration or perform photosynthesis, the plant's cells lose their turgidity, leading to the wilting and drooping of leaves.