Nanostructural Colouration in Malaysian Plants: Lessons for Biomimetics and Biomaterials

Figure 1

Typical anatomy of a leaf structure. A leaf contains a waxy cuticle, an epidermal cell as a cover for the upper and lower surface. Function of each tissue: the cuticle repels water, prevents rapid desiccation, acts as a selective filter in reflecting harmful ultraviolet light, and allows the absorption of visible light for photosynthesis. Epidermis cells are specially adapted for light absorption. In some plants the pigmentation is located in the mesophyll cell, immediately beneath the palisade layer. Figure modified from [6].