Exercise 5

PLANT TISSUES

Objective: To differentiate the meristematic from the permanent tissues of plants. The students should
also be able to characterize the basic plant cell and tissue types and relate their structure to their
function.

Materials: Microscope
Permanent slides of :

Onion root tip ( Allium cepa)

Leaf cross-section of santan ( Ixoora finlaysoniana )
Stem cross-section of corn ( Zea mays )
Sclereids of chicos ( Achras zapota)
Old dicot stem cross-section of atis ( Annona squamosa)
Cork cells of adelfa (Nerium oleander)

Procedure:

1. Meristematic tissue. This consists of cells which are all alike and which possess the ability to divide
repeatedly to form other cells like themselves. These are found at the tip of roots and stems, termed
apical meristems, forming the growing points and in the cambium just outside the woody cylinder of
the stem and root. The former is responsible for the increase in length of roots and stems, while the
latter makes possible the growth in diameter of woody stems and roots. These are isodiametric,
thin-walled and with a prominent nucleus. The cytoplasm may be vacuolated to varying degrees. The
cells in the interphase stage are typically meristematic.

Look for a slide of onion root tip which has no stages of mitosis and compare the difference between
the cells near the tip and those far from the tip in terms of cytoplasm, size of nucleus and vacuoles.
Draw a cell near the tip and another far from the tip. Label visible parts.

FAR FROM THE TIP

● Using the scanning objective lens, it is obvious that we
cannot see the cell very clearly since it has a wide focus.
Even the size of the nucleus and its vacuoles are not visible
enough because of the increased in depth of focus when
using scanning to LPO lenses.
 NEAR THE TIP

● When using the oil immersion objective lens,

we can clearly see the cell. As seen in the
picture, we can see the nucleus although
there is another smaller nucleus which we
can assume as a coenocyte which refers to a
multinucleate condition of the cell (algae,
fungi or plant) which occurs due to the
multiple nuclear divisions which are not
followed by cytokinesis. (toppr.com)
● The size of its nucleus is not that big unlike
those neighboring cells. However, in this
cell, we can quite see a small white vacuole-
liked shape, so we can assume that that is
the vacuoles.

2. Simple permanent tissues

a. Epidermis. This is a superficial, usually single layer of cells covering all other primary
tissues, protecting them from drying out and to a certain extent from mechanical injury.
These cells are variable in shape with active protoplasts, vacuolated, and sometimes with
pigments in the cell sap. The outer walls are cutinized and usually thicker than the other
walls of the cell. Take note of the superficial layer, the cuticle which is made of cutin. This
cuticle is quite impermeable to water and gases. Check a slide sample on the internet of
Ixora finlaysoniana leaf cross section and locate the structures mentioned.

epidermis
 b. Collenchyma. This tissue is made up of cells that lie just beneath the epidermis. They are
elongated, rather isodiametric, with irregularly thickened walls ( often with thickened corners
where the cells meet). Cells possess long-lived protoplasts and chloroplasts are often present.
They serve to support and strengthen and provide elasticity to young stems. Look for this part
in our cross-section of Ixora leaf just beneath the upper and above the lower epidermis. Draw
five cells.

collenchyma
c. Parenchyma. These cells are approximately isodiametric to cylindrical, thin-walled with
active protoplast and with intercellular spaces between them; chloroplast may be present.
Function for storage, conduction, and if provided with chloroplast, are capable of
photosynthesis. Mount a permanent slide of the stem cross-section of corn ( Zea mays) and
focus at the central part of the cross-section. Draw five parenchyma cells.

parenchyma
d. Sclerenchyma. These cells are for support and protection. The shape, the thickness and
toughness of their walls enable them to perform these functions. Lignification, which is the
deposition of lignin in the walls, accounts for their toughness and thickness. There are two
types of sclerenchyma cells: sclereids and fibers.

Sclereids are either isodiametric or highly branched. The former are termed stone cells.
Sclereids occur in the stem cortex, in seed coats, in hard shells of fruits, bark, and in certain
leaves.

Protoplasts of sclerenchyma often disappear as they attain maturity. Pit canals extend
through the thickened walls. Mount a permanent slide of sclereids of Achras. Draw five
sclereids.
 Fibers are elongated, thick-walled cells usually pointed at the ends which give strength to the
organ where they occur. Thickening may be so heavy that the cavity or lumen of the cell almost
disappears. They are elastic, thus, in addition to support, also serve for flexibility. Examine a
cross-section of an old Annona squamosa stem and draw five fiber cells.
e. Cork. This is composed of flattened, thin-walled cells with no intercellular spaces. Suberin,
a fatty substance is deposited in walls which renders them impermeable to gases and water;
thus protoplasts are short-lived. Aside from protection against water loss, cork also provides
protection from mechanical injury. Cork replaces the epidermis in old stems as a protective
tissue. Examine an old Nerium indicum stem and focus on the periphery of the section. Draw
two layers of cells.
 3. Complex permanent tissues (Vascular tissues). Each consists of a number of different kinds of
cells. There are two types in plants; xylem and phloem. Examine the slide of the cross-section of
corn stem. Look for a vascular bundle and locate the xylem ( inner) and phloem ( outer ) parts. Draw
the details of the xylem and phloem showing the different component cells for each; i.e for xylem,
locate the vessels , tracheids, fibers, and parenchyma and for the phloem, the sieve tube member,
companion cell, fibers, and parenchyma.

Suggested Readings :
Mauseth, James, 1998. Botany . Jones & Bartlett Publishers, USA pp. 106-110.
Stern, Kingsley R. 2000. Introductory Plant Biology. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc., New York. Chapter 4.