Plant Tissues

 PLANT TISSUES:-
 MERISTEMATIC TISSUE
The growth of plants occurs only in certain specific
regions. This is because the dividing tissue, also known as
meristematic tissue, is located only at these points.
Depending on the region where they are present,
meristematic tissues are classified as apical, lateral and
intercalary. New cells produced by meristem are initially
like those of meristem itself, but as they grow and
mature, their characteristics slowly change and they
become differentiated as components.
Apical meristem is present at the growing tips of stems and
roots and increases the length of the stem and the root.
The girth of the stem or root increases due to lateral
meristem (cambium). Intercalary meristem is the meristem at
the base of the leaves or internodes on twigs. As the cells
of this tissue are very active, they have dense cytoplasm,
thin cellulose walls and prominent nuclei. They lack
vacuoles.
 PERMANENT TISSUE
What happens to the cells formed by meristematic tissue?
They take up a specific role and lose the ability to divide.
As a result, they form a permanent tissue. This process of
taking up a permanent shape, size, and a function is called
differentiation. Cells of meristematic tissue differentiate
to form different types of permanent tissue.
i. SIMPLE PERMANENT TISSUES

A few layers of cells form the basic packing tissue. This
tissue is parenchyma, a type of permanent tissue. It
consists of relatively unspecialised cells with thin cell
walls. They are live cells. They are usually loosely
packed, so that large spaces between cells (intercellular
spaces) are found in this tissue. .
This tissue provides support to plants and also stores

food. In some situations, it contains chlorophyll and
performs photosynthesis, and then it is called
chlorenchyma. In aquatic plants, large air cavities are
present in parenchyma to give buoyancy to the plants
to help them float. Such a parenchyma type is called
aerenchyma. The parenchyma of stems and roots also
stores nutrients and water.
The flexibility in plants is due to another permanent
tissue, collenchyma. It allows easy bending in various
parts of a plant (leaf, stem) without breaking. It also
provides mechanical support to plants. We can find this
tissue in leaf stalks below the epidermis. The cells of this
tissue are living, elongated and irregularly thickened
at the corners. There is very little intercellular space.
Yet another type of permanent tissue is sclerenchyma. It
is the tissue which makes the plant hard and stiff. We
have seen the husk of a coconut. It is made of
sclerenchymatous tissue. The cells of this tissue are dead.
They are long and narrow as the walls are thickened
due to lignin (a chemical substance which acts as
cement and hardens them). Often these walls are so
thick that there is no internal space inside the cell (Fig.
6.4 c). This tissue is present in stems, around vascular
bundles, in the veins of leaves and in the hard covering
of seeds and nuts. It provides strength to the plant
parts.
We observe that outermost layer of cells, called

epidermis. The epidermis is usually made of a single layer
of cells. In some plants living in very dry habitats,
theepidermis may be thicker since protection against
water loss is critical. The entire surface of a plant has
this outer covering of epidermis. It protects all the
parts of the plant. Epidermal cells on the aerial parts of
the plant often secrete a waxy, water-resistant layer
on their outer surface. This aids in protection against
loss of water, mechanical injury and invasion by
parasitic fungi. Since it has a protective role to play,
cells of epidermal tissue form a continuous layer
without intercellular spaces. Most epidermal cells are
relatively flat. Often their outer and side walls are
thicker than the inner wall. We can observe small pores
here and there in the epidermis of the leaf. These pores
are called stomata. Stomata are enclosed by two
kidney-shaped cells called guard cells. They are
necessary for exchanging gases with the atmosphere.
Transpiration (loss of water in the form of water
vapour) also takes place through stomata.
Epidermal cells of the roots, whose function is water
absorption, commonly bear long hair-like parts that
greatly increase the total absorptive surface area. In
some plants like desert plants, epidermis has a thick
waxy coating of on its outer surface.
ii. COMPLEX PERMANET TISSUES

The different types of tissues we have discussed until
now are all made of one type of cells, which look like
each other. Such tissues are called simple permanent
tissue. Yet another type of permanent tissue is complex
tissue. Complex tissues are made of more than one type
of cells. All these cells coordinate to perform a
common function. Xylem and phloem are examples of
such complex tissues. They are both conducting tissues
and constitute a vascular bundle. Vascular or
conductive tissue is a distinctive feature of the complex
plants, one that has made possible their survival in the
terrestrial environment.
Xylem consists of tracheids, vessels, xylem parenchyma
and xylem fibres. The cells have thick walls, and many
of them are dead cells. Tracheids and vessels are tubular
structures. This allows them to transport water and
minerals vertically. The parenchyma stores food and
helps in the sideways conduction of water. Fibres are
mainly supportive in function.
Phloem is made up of four types of elements: sieve tubes,
companion cells, phloem fibres and the phloem
parenchyma. Sieve tubes are tubular cells with
perforated walls. Phloem is unlike xylem in that
materials can move in both directions in it. Phloem
transports food from leaves to other parts of the
plant. Except for phloem fibres, phloem cells are living
cells.
 ANIMAL TISSUES
When we breathe we can actually feel the movement of
our chest. How do these body parts move? For this we
have specialised cells called muscle cells .
The contraction and relaxation of these cells result in
movement.
Blood and muscles are both examples of tissues found in our

body. On the basis of the functions they perform we can think
of different types of animal tissues, such as epithelial tissue,
connective tissue, muscular tissue and nervous tissue. Blood is
a type of connective tissue, and muscle forms muscular tissue.
 EPITHELIAL TISSUE
The covering or protective tissues in the animal body are
epithelial tissues. Epithelium covers most organs and
cavities within the body. It also forms a barrier to keep
different body systems separate. The skin, the lining of the
mouth, the lining of blood vessels, lung alveoli and
kidney tubules are all made of epithelial tissue. Epithelial
tissue cells are tightly packed and form a continuous
sheet. They have only a small amount of cementing
material between them and almost no intercellular
spaces. Obviously, anything entering or leaving the body
must cross at least one layer of epithelium. As a result,
the permeability of the cells of various epithelia play an
important role in regulating the exchange of materials
between the body and the external environment and
also between different parts of the body. Regardless of
the type, all epithelium is usually separated from the
underlying tissue by an extracellular fibrous basement
membrane. Different epithelia show differing structures
that correlate with their unique functions. For example,
in cells lining blood vessels or lung alveoli, where
transportation of substances occurs through a
selectively permeable surface, there is a simple flat kind
of epithelium.
This is called the simple squamous epithelium. Simple

squamous epithelial cells are extremely thin and flat
and form a delicate lining. The oesophagus and the
lining of the mouth are also covered with squamous
epithelium. The skin, which protects the body, is also made
of squamous epithelium. Skin epithelial cells are arranged
in many layers to prevent wear and tear. Since they are
arranged in a pattern of layers, the epithelium is called
stratified squamous epithelium.
Where absorption and secretion occur, as in the inner
lining of the intestine, tall epithelial cells are present.
This columnar (meaning ‘pillar-like’) epiThelium
facilitates movement across the epithelial barrier. In the
respiratory tract, the columnar epithelial tissue also
has cilia, which are hair-like projections on the outer
surfaces of epithelial cells. These cilia can move, and
their movement pushes the mucus forward to clear it.
This type of epithelium is thus ciliated columnar
epithelium.
Cuboidal epithelium (with cube-shaped cells) forms the
lining of kidney tubules and ducts of salivary glands,
where it provides mechanical support. Epithelial cells
often acquire additional specialisation as gland cells,
which can secrete substances at the epithelial surface.
Sometimes a portion of the epithelial tissue folds inward,
and a multicellular gland is formed. This is glandular
epithelium.
 CONNECTIVE TISSUE
Blood is a type of connective tissue. Why would it be
called ‘connecTive’ Tissue? a clue is provided in The
introduction of this chapter! Now, let us look at this
type of tissue in some more detail. The cells of connective
tissue are loosely spaced and embedded in an
intercellular matrix. The matrix may be jelly like, fluid,
dense or rigid. The nature of matrix differs in
concordance with the function of the particular
connective tissue.
Take a drop of blood on a slide and observe different
cells present in it under a microscope.
 NERVOUS TISSUE
All cells possess the ability to respond to stimuli.
However, cells of the nervous tissue are highly specialised
for being stimulated and then transmitting the stimulus
very rapidly from one place to another within the body.
The brain, spinal cord and nerves are all composed of the
nervous tissue. The cells of this tissue are called nerve
cells or neurons. A neuron consists of a cell body with a
nucleus and cytoplasm, from which long thin hair-like
parts arise (Fig. 6.12). Usually each neuron has a single long
part, called the axon, and many short, branched parts
called dendrites. An individual nerve cell may be up to a
metre long. Many nerve fibres bound together by
connective tissue make up a nerve.
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Plant Tissues

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 PLANT TISSUES:-

i. SIMPLE PERMANENT TISSUES

This tissue provides support to plants and also stores

We observe that outermost layer of cells, called

ii. COMPLEX PERMANET TISSUES

Blood and muscles are both examples of tissues found in our

This is called the simple squamous epithelium. Simple

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