PLANT TISSUES
Random fact:
Plant Tissues
Meristematic Tissue
• Actively dividing tissue.
• New cells continuously formed by mitosis(cell
division).
• Cells not differentiated yet to perform a specific
function.
• Found at root and shoot/stem tips.
• Will eventually form permanent tissue.
Meristematic Tissue
Apical meristem
• Group of cells found near the tips of roots and
stems.
• Responsible for growth and length (primary
growth) by mitosis, produce growth hormones.
Structure
• Cells are small
• Cube shaped
• Cell walls thin
• Vacuoles absent
• Nuclei large and prominent
• No intercellular spaces, dense cytoplasm.
Meristematic Tissue
Functions of the apical meristem
• result in the primary growth (growth in length) of the plant.
Meristematic Tissue
Meristematic Tissue
Lateral meristem
Found between the xylem and the phloem in the
vascular bundles of dicotyledonous plants and is known
as cambium. As trees grow older, increase in diameter.
Forms xylem to the inside(wood) and phloem to the
outside.
Structure:
• Similar to apical meristem. They are flatter and
elongated. (stretch out)
• Thicker cell walls than the cells of the apical meristem.
Functions of lateral meristem
Result in secondary growth (growth in thickness) in
dicotyledonous stems.
Meristematic Tissue
Meristematic tissue
Permanent tissue
Permanent tissue
• Tissue that is already differentiated to perform a
specific function.
• Cells not actively dividing for growth only for repair.
• Structurally specialised for a specific function.
• Found throughout plant except meristematic tissue.
It includes the following tissues:
• Epidermal tissue (complex tissue) – Epidermis,
guard cell in stomata, root hair.
• Vascular tissue (complex tissue)-Xylem, Phloem.
• Parenchyma (simple ground tissue)
• Sclerenchyma (simple ground tissue)
• Collenchyma (simple ground tissue)
• Chlorenchyma (simple ground tissue)
Permanent tissue: epidermis
Epidermis forms the outer layer around
roots, stems and leaves. (outer covering of
plants).
Structure:
• Single layer of cells, Brick shaped,
• Transparent
• Leaves secrete a waxy layer cutin that
forms the cuticle. Don't contain
chloroplasts.
• No intercellular air spaces- tightly packed
Permanent tissue: epidermis
Functions of the epidermis:
• Protects the underlying tissue from injury,
invaders and desiccation (drying out),
water loss.
• Transparent epidermis allows sunlight
through for photosynthesis
Epidermis
In leaves and stems:
• Epidermal cells can be modified into
guard cells of the stoma
• The guard cells of the stoma control
the opening and closing of the
stomatal pore for gaseous
exchange.
• Covered with a waxy layer- cuticle
• Reduces water vapour loss
• Protects against pathogens
(disease causing organisms such
Epidermis: guard cells
• Guard cells mainly
occur in the epidermis of
leaves.
• A stoma is formed by two
bean-shaped guard cells.
• Between two guard cells is an
opening called the stomatal pore
• Guard cells contain chloroplasts
Epidermis: guard cells
Epidermis: root hairs
• Root hairs are unicellular, thin- walled
outgrowths of the root epidermis.
• Cuticle is absent
• Root hairs increase the absorption area
of the root
• Root hairs absorb water and mineral salts
from the soil (osmoses).
• Large vacuole.
Epidermis: root hair
Epidermis
Thus the functions of epidermis are:
• Protects the tissue from injury or
desiccation.
• Cuticle prevents water loss.
• Epidermis is transparent- allows
light through for photosynthesis
• Root hairs enlarge surface area of
absorption
• Guard cells control opening and
closing of the stoma.
Permanent tissue
Vascular Tissue (conducting
tissue)
Vascular means: relating to, or having
vessels that conduct and circulate
liquids
Thus, forms the transport system of
the plant.
Made up of:
• Xylem(forms wood inside trees)
• Phloem(form bark in trees)
Vascular Tissue
Xylem: Transports water and dissolved
mineral salts from the roots to the leaves.
Phloem: transports manufactured foods
(glucose) from the leaves to the roots.
Xylem
Functions of xylem:
• Transports water and dissolved
mineral salts from the roots to the
leaves.
• Strengthens the plant
It is regarded as dead tissue and has
no living material.
Xylem made of two types of cells:
• Xylem vessels
Xylem vessels
Xylem vessels:
• Dead cells as they don’t have a
cytoplasm
• Elongated cells connected end to end that
form tubes to allow for quick movement
of water
• The cell walls are made up of cellulose
and are thickened by lignin.
Xylem vessels
• The lignin is thickened in a spiral, ring-like
or pitted (net) patterns
• The walls can also be perforated with pits
• Pits allows for lateral transport
• Lateral = from the side or sides
• Have round structure that provides extra
support
Xylem
Xylem vessels
Xylem tracheids
• Consists of dead cells
• Elongated cells with tapered ends (reduce
in thickness towards one end)
• Cell walls thickened by lignin
• Have pits that connect them to other
tracheids
• The tapered ends of the tracheids overlap
and also contribute to the strengthening
of the tubes and to lateral transport.
• Water moves slower than in vessels
Xylem
Xylem tracheids
Phloem
Transports manufactured foods
(glucose) from the leaves to the roots.
Made of living cells and don’t contain
thickened walls.
Phloem made of two types of cells:
• Sieve tubes
• Companion cells
Sieve tubes
• Consists of elongated living cells filled
with cytoplasm.
• That are joined to one another end to
end.
• Cross walls/ end-plates have pits
(perforations) that form sieve plates.
• Cell walls are thin and not strengthened
by lignin.
• No nucleus present
Sieve tubes
Sieve tube
Companion cells
• They are found next to the sieve
tubes
• These cells have nuclei
• Responsible for performing
metabolic functions of the
sieve tubes
Permanent tissue
Parenchyma
Most abundant plant tissue.
Structure:
• Round to oval shape
• Thin cell wall
• Large vacuole
• Intercellular air spaces
• Stem and leaf parenchyma contain
chloroplasts (chlorenchyma)
Parenchyma
Functions:
• Stores food and water
• Intercellular air spaces allow gaseous
exchange to take place.
Collenchyma
Occurs in young, growing herbaceous
stems.
Structure:
• Similar to sclerenchyma cells
• Cell walls are unevenly thickened with
cellulose
• Mostly thick in the corners of cells
Collenchyma
Functions:
• Acts as supporting tissue in young
stems and leaves.
Sclerenchyma cells
Found in leaves, stems and fruit.
.
Structure:
• Cells walls evenly thickened with lignin
• No cell contents and are therefore dead
cells
.
Functions:
• Mechanical support
• Strengthening tissue
