PLANTS TISSUE: structure and

function
The Body’s Organization
Each level represents a different compartment

Organism

Organs

Tissue Systems

Tissues

Cells Organelles
CllsTsss
 Like animal cells, plant cells are organized into
tissues

 Tissues are groups of cells that form a

structural and functional unit
 Simple tissues have one cell type
 Complex tissues have two or more cell types
 Meristem
Plant
tissues
Permanent
Meristems
 Meristems are regions of cell division
 Main difference between animals and plants
 Birds and mammals stop growing at maturity,
although certain cells get replenished (skin), Plants
have the ability to keep growing their entire lives
 Meristems make it possible to grow a new plant from
a cutting
 Growth in plants is the counterpart (to some extent) to
movement in animals
Meristems
Occurrence-Meristematic tissues are growth tissues &
are found in those regions of the plant that grow.

Function-the main function of meristematic tissue is

to continuously form a number of new cells.
Meristem cells : Characteristics
 Small size
 Thin cell wall
 Large nuclei
 Small vacuole
 Rich cytoplasma
 Cube/prism
Meristematic tissues – localized regions
of cell division
 Apical Meristems
 Primary or Transitional Meristem  Primary growth
 Lateral Meristems
 Vascular cambium  vascular tissue
 Cork cambium or phellogen  periderm
 Intercalary Meristems (found in the nodes of grasses)
Apical Meristems
 Shoot apical meristem
 Root apical meristem
 Found at the tips of roots
and shoots
 Increase the length and
height of a plant which is
called primary growth
Root and Apical Meristem
Shoot Apical Meristem
Lateral meristems

 Increase the diameter of plant

which is called Secondary
Growth
 Add girth (width) by
producing wood and bark
 They occur in thin layers.
Cambium is the region which
is responsible for growth in
thickness.
Lateral meristems
 There are two lateral meristems:
the vascular cambium and the
cork cambium
 The vascular cambium adds
layers of vascular tissue called
secondary xylem (wood) and
secondary phloem
 The cork cambium replaces the
epidermis with periderm, which is
thicker and tougher
Figure 35.11

Primary growth in stems

Epidermis
Cortex
Primary phloem
Shoot tip (shoot
apical meristem Primary xylem
and young leaves) Pith
Vascular cambium
Lateral Secondary growth in stems
Cork
cambium meristems Cork cambium
Axillary bud
meristem Periderm Cortex
Primary
phloem

Pith Secondary
Root apical phloem
meristems Primary
xylem Secondary Vascular
xylem cambium
 Lateral Meristems – secondary growth
in woody plants

Basswood – stem in cross section;

Basswood – root in cross section 1, 2, 3 year old stems
Lateral Meristem- 2 years
these are found
beneath the bark
(cork cambium)
& in vascular
bundles of dicot
roots &
stems(cambium)

 This is the 2nd year and you can see there are two layers of xylem for
each year. The pith is also referred to as the “Heartwood”
Stems-Internal
Intercalary Meristems
 Why grass keeps growing
back after you cut it.
 Grasses and related plants
do not have lateral
meristems
 Intercalary meristems add
to the plants length in
monocots plants
Intercalary Meristem
Meristematic tissues – based on its
origins
 Primary Meristems
 Retain the ability to divide througout the life of the plant
 maintain the growth of plants and the origin of new
tissue
 Secondary Meristems
 Composed of permanent tissues that have regained the
ability to divide and has specifics functions.
 Structucally identical to primary but the cells are longer
 Apical meristems
give rise to:
 Three primary meristems
1. Dermatogen/Protoderm
– Give rise to “skin”
coverings
2. Periblem/Ground
meristem
– Give rise to ground tissues
3. Plerom/Procambium
– Give rise to plumbing of the
plant
Figure 35.13
Cortex Vascular cylinder
Key
to labels
Epidermis
Dermal
Zone of Ground
Root hair differentiation Vascular

Zone of
elongation

Zone of cell Mitotic

division cells
(including
apical
meristem)
100 m
Root cap
PERMANENT TISSUE

These tissues derived from the

meristematic tissues but their cells have
lost the power of division & have
attained their definite forms. It an only
enlarge througout their life.
Permanent tissue’s cell

 Mostly doesn’t have the ability to divide

 Bigger than meristem
 Big vacuole
 Lignified cell wall
 Dead cell (some of them)
PERMANENT TISSUE
Permanent tissue-these tissues are composed of cells
which are structurally & functionally similar. They are :
I. Dermal
II. Parenchymal
III.Connective/Support
IV.Vascular
V. Glandular
1. Dermal Epidermis
Periderm
Epidermis

 Single layer
 Consist of viable cells
 Rectangular
 Compact
 Lack intercellular space
 Lack chlorophyl
 Thick  exposed
 Able to form derivates (modified)
 Have a layer of cutin (cuticle)
resistant to bacteria and other disease organisms
Epidermis

 Function :
1. Protection form mechanical
damage, temperature change,
and lack of nutrition
2. Prevent water loss from
transpiration
Epidermis modifications – stoma, trichomes
Root Hairs are extensions
of epidermal cells
Epidermis modifications – stoma, trichomes
1. Guard cells form stomata
 Gas exchange – oxygen and
carbondioxide
 Transpiration – water
2. Trichomes
 Outgrowths – ‘hairs’
 Some leaf trichomes use to keep animals
away
 Some used to eliminate salt
 Some thought to increase reflection to
reduce stem/leaf temperature
 Root hairs are a type of trichome,
increase surface area to increase uptake
of nutrients
Epidermis modifications – spina, velamen
Prickles grow out
of the epidermis
Epidermis modifications –fan cells, silica gel
Silica gel/ Cuticle Wax
 Wax Myrtle
 Myrica cerifera
 Waxes obtained
from boiling the
leaves is used to
make bayberry
candles
Dermal Tissues:
Epidermis
 Glands secrete
substances that protect
the plant
 secrete nectar
 digestive glands
 Sundews
 trigger hairs of a Venus
Flytrap
Periderm

 Multilayered
 Rectangular or hexagonal
 Compact
 Lack intercellular space
 Lack chlorophyl
 Thick  exposed
 Impermeable
 Occurs around the stem
 After maturing  die and filled with air
Periderm

 In woody plants, protective

tissues called periderm
replace the epidermis in older
regions of stems and roots
 Produced from cork cambium
 Function :
1. Protection form mechanical
damage, temperature change,
and lack of nutrition
2. Prevent gas and water loss
 Periderm

Phellodem Phellogen Phelem

2. The Parenchyma Cell

 The generic plant cell

 Most abundant and
versatile
 Function:
 storage
 flesh of fruit
 storage in roots and seeds
 basic metabolism
Parenchyma
 Thin
 Flexible
 A lot of intercellular space
 Cells assume various shapes and
sizes
 Contain starch grains or other
storage granules, oils
 Perform the most metabolic
functions
Parenchyma
 They can change and
become other cells
(differentiation)
 Alive at maturity
Figure 35.10a

Parenchyma cells in Elodea 60 m

leaf, with chloroplasts (LM)
Parenchyma
3. Connective Collenchyma

Sclerenchyma
Collenchyma
 Glue cells
 alive at maturity
 cell walls are thicker and more uneven
 lack secondary walls
 typically longer than wide
 tend to be found under the epidermis
 provide flexible support
 Intercellular space generally absent
 Found in growing shoots, stems, &
leaves
Collenchyma

Collenchyma

Parenchyma
Figure 35.10b

Collenchyma cells 5 m
(in Helianthus stem) (LM)
Collenchyma (wiki)
 Collenchyma tissue is composed of elongated cells with irregularly
thickened walls. They provide structural support, particularly in
growing shoots and leaves. Collenchyma tissue makes up things such as the
resilient strands in stalks of celery. Collenchyma cells are usually living, and
have only a thick primary cell wall[12] made up of cellulose and pectin. Cell wall
thickness is strongly affected by mechanical stress upon the plant. The walls of
collenchyma in shaken plants (to mimic the effects of wind etc.), may be 40–
100% thicker than those not shaken.
There are four main types of collenchyma:
 Angular collenchyma (thickened at intercellular contact points)
 Tangential collenchyma (cells arranged into ordered rows and thickened at the
tangential face of the cell wall)
 Annular collenchyma (uniformly thickened cell walls)
 Lacunar collenchyma (collenchyma with intercellular spaces)
Collenchyma cells are most often found adjacent to outer growing tissues such as
the vascular cambium and are known for increasing structural support and integrity.
 Collenchyma

 Occurrence-the cells of collenchyma are located below the

epidermis of dicotyledon stem & petiole. Collenchyma is
absent in monocot stems,roots & leaves.

 Functions- collenchyma is a mechanical tissue;it provides

mechanical support & elasticity.
 Thickened corner
of cell wall

(b) Nucleus Cytoplasm Vacuole

 Sclerenchyma
 Functions-the sclerenchyma is mainly mechanical &
protective in function. It gives strenght, rigidity,
flexibility & elasticity to the plant body
&,thus,enables it to withstand various strains.
Sclerenchyma
 Rigid cells
 Thick, non stretchable
secondary cell walls
 Lignified secondary cell walls
 No intracellular space
 Found in stems,roots,veins of
leaves.
 Dead at maturity
 Function: support and
strengthen non extending
regions of a plant like mature
stems
Sclerenchyma
 Function in support
1. sclereids
2. fibers
Sclerenchyma
1. Fibers
 long, slender, occur in strands
 Cotton
 Hemp
 Flax (Linen)
 Generally unbranched
 Originate from meristematic cell

2. Sclereids
 short, varying shape, occur in groups (isodiametric)
 Gristle in pears
 Secondary meristem ( from parenchymal cell)
Fibers are used for clothing

 Cotton
 Linen
 Bamboo
 Hemp
Figure 35.10c

5 m

Sclereid cells in pear (LM)

25 m

Cell wall

Fiber cells (cross section from ash tree) (LM)

 Xylem
4. Vascular
Phloem
Xylem  To conduct water and mineral
 Primary xylem derived from
procambium
 Secondary xylem formed by
vascular cambium
 The two types of water-
conducting cells, tracheids
and vessel elements, are dead
at maturity
 Tracheids are found in the
xylem of all vascular plants
Xylem  Vessels
 Have thick secondary
cell walls
 dead at maturity
 long tubular cells with
grate-like openings at
the end
 contain pits
 areas where no 2° cell
wall is laid down
 Xylem

 Tracheids
 Have thick secondary cell walls
 dead at maturity
 tapered at the end
 contain pits
 areas where no 2° cell wall is laid down
 End wall with
perforations

Tracheid Pits Vessel

Cell wall

Lumen

(a) (b)
Many cone bearing trees and other
non-flowering plants
 Xylem is made of
tracheids only
 soft wood of pines
 tracheids often have
spiral thickenings on
them
 Vessels make the
wood of flowering
trees “hard” wood
 Phloem Tissue
 transports dissolved food (sugars)
through the plant to all its organs
 Primary phloem derived from
cambium
 Secondary phloem formed by
vascular cambium
1. sieve tube members
2. companion cells

phloem
 Sieve plate

Sieve tube
member
Phloem
parenchyma
cells

Lateral sieve
area

Plasmodesma

Companion cell

Phloem
Sieve Tube Member tissue
(c) (d)
Sieves and Sieve tube cells
Phloem: Companion cells
 Companion cells are
“companions” to sieve tube
cells
 Because sieve tube cells
have no nuclei, the
companion cells provide all
the nutrients to the sieve
tube cell
 External
5. Secretory
Internal
Secretory Structures

 Has byproduct which perform many useful roles

 nectar (flowers) for polination
 resins (conifers) for protection from pathogens or predators
 Alkaloids for protection to herbivores (poisons)
 Digitalin useful for treat a heart attack
 hydathodes (openings) for secretion of water.
 digestive glands of carnivorous plants (enzymes)
 salt glands that shed salt (especial in plants adapted to
environments laden with salt).
Totipotency and Tissue Culture
 Totipotency  capacity of plant cells to
regenerate into whole plants.
 Plant Tissue Culture ; techniques used to grow
plant cells, tissues or organs under sterile
condition in nutrient culture medium
 Advantages :
 To produce exact ‘copies’ of plants
 For seedless plants
 For plants with low chance to germinates and
grow
 Primary Meris t em Tiss ue Sys tem T is s ue s C e lls

e pide rmis
de rma l pa re nc hy ma
pe ride rm

pro t o de rm

v e s s e ls
t ra c he ids

xy le m pa re nc hy ma
f ib e rs
Apic al Meris t em pro c a mb iu m v a s c ula r

sieve tube members

ph lo e m
c ompanion cells

pa re nc hy ma

f ib e rs
ground meris t em
pa re nc hy ma pa re nc hy ma

g ro und
c o lle nc hy ma c o lle nc hy ma

s c le re nc hy ma s c le re ids

Cell Differentiation in Plants f ib e rs