BIOL1017 – Cell Biology

Plant Tissues
 Definition of Tissue
• Tissue = a group of similar cells with the
same embryonic origin that perform a
similar function.
• A tissue is an intermediate level of
organisation between a cell and an organ
or an organism
• There are both plant and animal tissues.
Levels of organisation
Types of Plant Tissue
 Meristematic tissues
• Meristematic tissues are areas of the plant
where new cells are produced and differentiate.
The main meristematic areas are the apical bud
which is the primary point of elongation of the
plant and lateral meristems which are
responsible for an increase in girth
• Typically meristematic cells are small, thin-
walled with small vacuoles. They lack
intracellular spaces
Meristems
Permanent Tissue.A.Surface tissue
• Epidermis. Surface tissue of leaf. One cell
thick but thicker in desert plants. Cells
elongate with large vacuole, little
cytoplasm. Produce cuticle to minimise
water loss. Guard cells which control
stomata. Gaseous exchange.
• Periderm replaces epidermis.Corky
material under the bark of old trees
Epidermis of a leaf
Permanent tissue: B. Fundamental
tissues
1. Parenchyma
2. Collenchyma
3. Sclerenchyma
Parenchyma: found in roots stems and leaves.
Unspecialized. Abundant in lower plants. Cells large
vacuole, thin walled. No secondary thickening. Loosely
packed with intercellular spaces. Some contain
chloroplasts-Chlorenchyma or sometimes called
Mesophyll. Also starch storage, water storage.
Aerenchyma in aquatic plants
All types are living cells at maturity and have cellulose
cell walls
Fundamental tissue
Parenchyma
Permanent tissue: B. Fundamental
tissues
• Collenchyma Functions in support of stems in
young plants and non-woody plants. Similar to
parenchyma with thickened walls.Thick walls at
the corners of the cells. Living at maturity
• Sclerenchyma. Similar, but more complex than
above. Also support tissue but has thick
secondary cell walls. Walls are often so thick
that the lumen is obliterated. Dead at maturity.
• Two types: Fibres: Elongate with tapered ends.
Found in cotton
Sclerids. Irregular often branched. Found in
nuts and in fibrous fruits eg pears
Collenchyma
Sclerenchyma
Sclerenchyma
Fibres and sclereids
 Vascular Tissue
• Form tubes or ducts which move substances or solutions
from place to place.
• Xylem: transport of water and dissolved substances
upward. Two sorts of cells: vessels and tracheids.
• Tracheids are primitive and are found predominantly in
lower plants. Tapered cells with secondary thickening
and no cytoplasm.
• Vessels are cylindrical elongate cells that lie end to end.
The end walls dissolve at maturity to form a continuous
duct which transports water and dissolved materials from
the roots. Cells are dead at maturity and have no
cytoplasm.
• Xylem forms the support tissue, wood
• Xylem also contains parenchyma and sclerenchyma.
Vessel and tracheid
Xylem and phloem in a vascuar
bundle
Vessels and tracheids
Tracheid Types
 Vascular Tissue: Phloem
• Phloem allows materials to flow in either
direction but is primarily concerned with
movement of material from the leaves to the
roots etc.
• Sieve elements. No nuclei at maturity but
cytoplasm present. Cells lie end to end but have
sieve pores in end walls
• Companion cells. Control metabolism of sieve
elements connected to them by plasmodesmata.
Largely “control” movement of material into and
out of the sieve elements
Sieve elements and Companion
cells
Sieve elements and Companion
cells