T.A.

MARRYSHOW COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF ARTS, SCIENCE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCE
YEAR 1 BIOLOGY
LAB # 4

TITLE: HISTOLOGY –T.S. of the Dicot Stem

SKILL: Drawing (DRW)

AIM: To identify and draw the structures of a dicot stem using a compound microscope.

THEORY:
In a dicot stem, the vascular tissue is not in the centre, but in a ring of columns around the
outside. Each column is called a vascular bundle and is adapted for transportation and support.
The centre of the stem is occupied by a very light tissue called pith, consisting of air spaces and
large, thin-walled cells. The pith is virtually "empty", and thus adds little weight to the stem. The
ring of columns provides much greater structural stability than a solid stem would. The outer
layer of the stem is called the epidermis. Without adequate waterproofing, a plant would rapidly
dry out. Inside the cuticle is a layer of cortex, these contain many chloroplasts and carry out
photosynthesis. In very young plants, photosynthesis by the stem can provide quite a significant
part of the plants food.

MATERIALS:

 Compound Microscope
 T.S. Dicot stem
 Drawing materials

PROCEDURE:

1. Mount Slide (dicot stem) and make a plan drawing (X100).

2. Label and Annotate.