BOTANY LABORATORY

VEGETATIVE PARTS OF PLANT

Roots
- Anchorage
- Absorption of nutrition
2 Types of Root System
1. Taproot
- Primary root is present
- Taps deep sources of water
Best
root
system
for
anchorage

2. Fibrous
- Primary root is lost
- Primary root is replaced by
numerous root arising from the
lower part of the plant

Internal Anatomy
1. Longitudinal Section
Elongation
Region

Root Hair
Protoderm

Merismatic
Region

Ground
Procambium

Root

a. Root Cap
- Thimble shape
- Forms the apex of the root
- Protects the merismatic region (produce mucigel- a slimy out cell of the
root cap are continually being broken of by their contact with rock particle,
as the outer cell are broken, new root cap cell are being formed in the
inner part of the root cap by the cells of the merismatic region)
- Function: Protection, lubrication, water and nutrient absorption
b. Merismatic Region
- Compress a mass of small nearly cubical cell with thin wall & dense
protoplasm
- Region in which new cells are formed by mitosis
- Region where the first phase of growth of a root in length takes place
3 Primary Meristem
Protoderm- develops into epidermis
Ground Meristem- Develops into the Cortex
Procambium- develops into the vascular stele (Pericycle, xylem,
phloem)
*Quiescent Zone- Slower or no cell division
c. Elongation Region
- Mass of cells here are recently formed & undergoing enlargement
particularly in length
- Cell walls increase in length, new protoplasm is formed and vacuoles
increase in size
d. Maturation Region
- Situated above elongation region
- Enlarge cells become differentiated into mature tissue of the root
- All the portions of the root above the elongation region maybe included
in the maturation region
- The younger part of the region of maturation is the root hair zone, in
which the epidermal cells develop protuberance known as root hair
2. Cross Section

Epidermis
Cortex
Stele

a. Epidermis
- Surface layer of the root, uncutinized
- Absorbs water and dissolved material from the soil
- Offers some protection to the inner tissue
b. Cortex
- Region between the stele and epidermis
- irregularly shaped parenchyma cell with many intercellular spaces
- Chiefly a water and food storage region
Endodermis- Innermost cell layer of the cortex
- Composed of:
Casprian strip- Composed of suberin and sometimes
lignin, impregnated cell walls and seal the spaces
between the cells
Passage Cell- thin walled cell
- Function as a water dam which prevents the outward passage of water
from the tissue inside the endodermis
c. Stele/Vascular Cylinder
c.1. Pricycle
- Lies interior to the endodermnis
- Gives rise to branch root by cell division
c.2. Xylem
- Composed of vessel, tracheids
- Conducts water, mineral and often food upward
- If the root has four ridges, they appear in cross section as arms of a cross
c.3. Phloem
- Composed mainly of sieve tube and companion cell in groups which
alternate with the radial xylem band
- Function chiefly for downward conduction of food
c.4. Parenchyma

- Surrounds the band of xylem and phloem

- Stores food and gives support to other tissue
*Cambium- Develops between the xylem and phloem area
- Made up of merismatic cell which by preclinical cell division
produce secondary xylem and phloem and thus increase the
diameter
Comparison between Monocot and Dicot Stem
Criteria

Monocot (Zea mays)

Type of stele
Presence of cambium
Presence of pith
Type of Vascular Bundle
Arrangement of Vascular
Bundle
Number of Xylem Poles

Siphonostele
Absent
Present
Exarch
Alternate

Dicot
elegans)
Protostele
Present
Absent
Exarch
Alternate

Polyarch

Tetrach

Specialized Root
Function
Support
Photosynthesis
Protection
Enlarge Root

(Aristolochia

Type of Root
Brace Root
Prop Root
Buttress
Green Root
Spine
Food Storage

STEM
- Develop from the epicotyls, a continuation of the hypocotyls, cylindrical
structure with a mass of merismatic cell & often a pair of leaves at the apex.
- Functions for support and conduction of minerals
2 Types of Stem
Herbaceous
Soft and Green
Little growth in diameter
Tissues chiefly primary
Chiefly Annual
Covered with epidermis
Buds mostly naked

Woody
Tough and not green
Considerable growth in diameter
Tissue chiefly secondary
Chiefly perennial
Covered by corky bud
Buds chiefly covered by scale

External Anatomy
1. Buds- Located at the axil of leaves, upper angle between the points of
juncture. It is consist of merismatic cells. (Apical or terminal bud- located at
the tip of the stem; Lateral or auxillary- located at the side of the stem)
2. Node- Point on a stem from which leaves and buds grow
3. Internode- Length of stem between 2 nodes

4. Lenticel- Tiny raised pores for gaseous exchange

5. Lear Scar- Crescent shaped or circular mark left by the fall of leaves
6. Bundle scar- Broken ends of vascular bundle
Comparison of Monocot and Dicot (External Anatomy)
Criteria
Monocot
Dicot
Nodes
Not Distinct
Distinct
Internodes
Longer
Shorter
Leaf Scar
Circular
Present
Lenticel
Absent
Present
Bud
Not Distinct
Present

Internal Anatomy
1. Epidermis
- Cutinized single layer
- Nearly water proof outerwall
- Protective tissue, prevents evaporation of water
2. Cortex
- Contains collenchymas, storage parenchyma usually strengthening fiber and
stone cell
- Region of protection, strength and storage
3. Stele
3.1. Pericycle
- Consist of parenchyma cell, often of strengthening fiber
3.2. Phloem
- Found inside the pericycle
- Sieve and companion cell- conducts food downward
- Fiber provides strength, parenchyma stores various substance
3.3. Cambium
- Continuous layer of merismatic cell just inside the phloem
- Forms new xylem and phloem
3.4. Xylem
- Consist of vessel, xylem fiber, tracheids and xylem parenchyma
- Vessel and tracheid- for conduction and support
- Xylem fiber- Thickening walls and strengthening cell
- Parenchyma- stores food
3.5. Ray
- Band of cell (chiefly parenchyma) which extends radially in a stem
- Functions for transverse conduction of material in stem & for food storage
Comparison Monocot vs Dicot (Internal Anatomy)

Criteria
Monocot
Dicot
Distinctness of region
Not Distinct
Distinct
Hypodermis
Not Distinct
Distinct
Bundle Sheath
Present
Distinct
Vascular Cambium
Absent
Present
Kind of Growth
Endogenous
Exogenous
Arrangement of Bundle Scattered
Broken Ring
Sheath
Secondary Growth
- Woody cambium active along the entire stem
- Annual ring- layer of xylem formed by one year of growth
- Tissues formed are secondary xylem and secondary phloem
- Ray- Primary Cells - Outward Inward
Secondary Cells Inward Outward
- Cork cambium secondary merismatic tissue
- Develop from certain parenchyma cell in the outer and inner face
Cork Cell- Cells formed on the outer face of the cambium
- Walls are suberized
- Annual Ring:
Inner Band- Larger; Formed in spring Springwood
Outer Band- Thicker; Formed in summer Summerwood
Comparison Sapwood vs Heartwood
Criteria
Sapwood
Location
Outer
Color
Lighter
Nature of Cell
Living
Function
Conduction
Use
Lumber

Heartwood
Inner
Darker
Dead
Support and Strength
Lumber