Question

Using your knowledge on lipids, explain why desert plants need the waxy coating on their leaves to survive.

Answer 1

Fats and lipids are hydrophobic which makes them water repelling compounds. Therefore, presence of a waxy coating on the outer skin of the desert plant prevents loss of water via evaporation from the skin of the plants. This helps the plant store water and increases its survival period.

Answer 2

Well, desert plants doesn't have many source of water since the region where they live is very dry with little rainfall ratio
One of the way for the plant to survive is by minimizing the amount of water that evaporated from its body, and they usually done it by coating their leave with waxy substance

hope this helps