Lab 10: Plant Tissue

Basic Biology
BIOL223
 ILOs

1. Define plant tissue.

2. Understand the different types and

characteristics of plant tissues.
 Tissues
 A group of closely associated cells that perform related functions
and are similar in structure.
 Plant tissue is a collection of similar cells performing an organized
function for the plant.
 Each plant tissue is specialized for a unique purpose, and can be
combined with other
tissues to create organs
such as leaves, flowers,
stems and roots.
 Plant Tissue Functions
Different types of plant tissue have their own respective functions:

 Provides mechanical strength to both the internal and external

organs.

 Helps in rendering the elasticity and flexibility to the organs.

 Easy bending in various parts of a plant like- leaf, stem and branches
without causing any damages to main plant.

 Aids in transportation of materials through out the plants and

prevents water loss.

 Divide to produce new growth and build the mass of the plants.
 They are involved in various cellular metabolisms like
photosynthesis, regeneration, respiration, etc.
 Plant Tissues
Plant Tissues can be Classified as:

1. Growing or Meristematic tissue

2. Permanent tissue

Three broad tissue types:

1) Dermal - outside layers

2) Vascular - conduction
3) Ground - between dermal and vascular

Simple vs. Complex Tissue:

1 versus 2 or more cell types

Types of Plant Tissue
 Meristematic Tissues
 Meristematic tissues are group of cells, which have
the ability to divide.
 This tissue consists of small, cubodial densely
packed cells, which keeps on dividing to form
new cells.
 These tissues are capable of stretching, enlarging
and differentiate into other types of tissues as
they mature.
 Meristematic tissues give rise to
permanent tissues.
 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 of other
tissues.
 Meristematic Tissues

As the cells of this tissue are very active, they have dense cytoplasm, thin cellulose
walls and prominent nuclei. They lack vacuoles.
General characteristics of Meristematic tissues

Structural Adaptation Function

Cells are small, spherical or This allows for close packing of
polygonal in shape. a large number of cells.
Vacuoles are very small or Vacuoles provide rigidity to
completely absent. cells thus preventing rapid
division.
Large amount of cytoplasm and The lack of organelles is a
a large nucleus. feature of an undifferentiated
cell. Large amount of nuclear
material contains the DNA
necessary for division and
differentiation.
 Meristematic Tissues
Meristem - region of actively dividing cells
1)Apical (shoot & root): present at the growing tips of
stems and roots and increases the length of the stem and
the root
2)Lateral: The girth of the stem or root increases due to
lateral meristem (cambium).
Found along the sides of roots
Types: Vascular cambium and Cork cambium
3) Intercalary meristems
Found at the bases of young leaves and
internodes (on either side of the node) on twigs.
Responsible for further lengthening of stems & leaves
Shoot Apical Root Apical
Meristem Meristem

1) Root cap initials

2) Protoderm
3) Ground meristem
4) Procambium
5) Root cap
 Lateral Meristems – secondary
growth in woody plants

Basswood – root in cross Basswood – stem in cross

section section; 1, 2, 3 year old stems
Intercalary Meristems
 Permanent Tissues

 Tissues derived from the Meristematic tissues.

 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.

 They are the tissues, which have lost their ability to divide as they
have attained their mature form.
 Kinds of Permanent Tissues

Simple permanent tissue: They are tissues similar in function and

composed of similar types of cells, which have common origin
and function.

Complex permanent tissue: They are tissues composed of two

or more types of cells but contribute to a common function.
 Simple Permanent Tissue
• 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.
 Simple Tissues – consisting of
one cell type

Parenchyma – thin walled & alive at maturity; often multifaceted.

 Collenchyma
• 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.
Simple Tissues – consisting of
one cell type
Collenchyma – thick walled & alive at maturity
 Sclerenchyma
• Another type of permanent tissue is sclerenchyma.
• It is the tissue which makes the plant hard and stiff.
• The husk of a coconut 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.
• 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.
 Simple Tissues – consisting of
one cell type
SCLERIDS

Sclerenchyma – thick walled

and dead at maturity

 Sclerids or stone cells – cells FIBERS

as long as they are wide

 Fibers – cells longer than

they are wide
 Epidermis
• What you observe is the 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, the epidermis 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.
 Epidermis
• 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.
Simple Tissues – consisting of one
cell type

Epidermis – alive at maturity

Trichomes – “pubescence” or hairs on
epidermis

Root Hairs – tubular extensions of

epidermal cells
 Epidermis
• 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 cutin (chemical substance
with waterproof quality) on its outer surface.
 Epidermis
• As plants grow older, the outer protective tissue
undergoes certain changes.
• A strip of secondary meristem replaces the epidermis
of the stem.
• Cells on the outside are cut off from this layer. This
forms the several-layer thick cork or the bark of the
tree.
• Cells of cork are dead and compactly arranged without
intercellular spaces.
• They also have a chemical called suberin in their walls
that makes them impervious to gases and water.
 Complex Tissues
• 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.
 Complex Tissues
• 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.
 Complex Tissue
Phloem food conducting tissue; sieve-
tube members (no nucleus at maturity, Xylem – water conducting
cytoplasm present), companion cells, tissue; parenchyma, fibers,
fibers, parenchyma, and ray cells. vessels and/or tracheids,
In flowering plants, sieve-tube and ray cells.
members and companion cells arise
from the same mother cell.
Vascular Bundles with xylem &
phloem

Maize or Corn – vein in Alfalfa – vein in cross section

cross section
 Plant Tissue Systems
o Plants have a higher level of structure called plant tissue systems.
o A plant tissue system can be defined as a functional unit, which connects all
organs of a plant.
o Like animal tissue system, plant tissue system is also grouped into various
tissues based on their functions.
 Dermal Tissue
They are the tissues, which covers the external part of the
herbaceous plants.
They are composed of epidermal cells, which secrete the waxy
cuticle.
Waxy cuticles are responsible for protecting plants against
water loss.
Dermal tissue consists of Epidermis and periderm.
Epidermis

They are the outermost layer of the primary plant body, which covers roots, stems,
leaves, floral parts, fruits and seeds.

 They are one layer thick with cuticle.

 They are composed mostly of unspecialized cells- parenchyma and
sclerenchyma.
 They include trichomes, stomata, buIIiform ceIIs, etc.
 Dermal Tissue

Periderm:

They are the outermost layer of stems and roots of woody plants such
as trees. They are also called as barks.

 They replace epidermis in plants that undergo secondary growth.

 They are multilayered structures.
 They include cork cells, which are nonliving cells that cover the
outside of stems and roots.
 The periderm protects the plant from injuries, pathogens and also
from excessive water loss.
 Ground Tissue

 They synthesize the organic compounds and support the plants

by storing the produced products.

 They are composed of parenchyma cells and also include collenchyma

and sclerenchyma cells.
 Ground Tissue

P arenchyma: Collenchyma:
1. Elongated
1. Isodiametric to elongate
2. Primary cell wall thick,
2. Primary cell wall uneven, rich in pectin
3. Living 3. Living
Ground Tissue

Sclerenchyma:
1. Secondary cell wall
(+ primary)
2. Dead at maturity
(usually)

Fibers
Elongated ,sharply
tapering
Ground Tissue
Sclerids
Isodiametric to irregular
 Vascular Tissues
 They are specialized cells with transport of water, hormone and
minerals throughout the plant.

 They contain transfer cells, fibers in addition to xylem, phloem,

parenchyma, cambium and other conducting cells.

 They are located in the veins of the Leaves.

Vascular Tissues
 Vascular Tissues

Xylem: Phloem:
 They are dead with hollow cells,  They are live cells, which lack
which consist of only cell wall. nucleus and other organelles.

 They play a vital role in  They transports dissolved

transporting water and dissolved organic food materials (sugars)
nutrients from the roots to all from the leaves to all parts of a
parts of a plant. plant.

 They transport the nutrients in  They transport the nutrients in the

the upward direction .i.e. from downward direction .i.e. from the
the root to the stem, leaves and leaves to the different parts of the
flower. plant.

 Phloem is also called as sugar-

 Xylem is also called as water- conducting cells.
conducting cells
 Summary
• Tissue is a group of cells similar in structure and
function.
• Plant tissues are of two main types meristematic
and permanent.
• Meristematic tissue is the dividing tissue present in
the growing regions of the plant.
• Permanent tissues are derived from meristematic
tissue once they lose the ability to divide. They are
classified as simple and complex tissues.
• Parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma are
three types of simple tissues. Xylem and phloem are
types of complex tissues.
Summary
Monocot and dicot roots
Monocot and dicot roots
Lilium lily mature pollen grains
 Mixed pollen types showing
various forms of many different
species
Pollen chambers and pollen grains
TS of Erica leaf xerophyte
Angular collenchyma ts stem of lamium
or salvia
Lilium lily TS of monocot root
Lilium lily TS of monocot root