TISSUES

➢ Tissue is a group of cells having similar origin, structure and

function.
➢ The study of tissues is called Histology
➢ In unicellular organism (Amoeba) single cell performs all basic
functions, whereas multicellular organism shows division of
labour.
PLANT TISSUES:
➢ Plant tissues are two types
• Meristems and
• Permanent tissues
➢ The growing parts of the plants have meristematic tissues.The cells
of this tissues are very active ,they have dense cytoplasm,thin
cellulose cellwall and a prominent nucleus.

TYPES OF MERISTEMS:
 • Apical meristems:It is present in the growing tips of the stems and
roots and increases the length of the stem and root.
• Lateral meristems: The girth of the stem or root increases by
lateral meristem
• Intercalary meristem:It is present at the base of the leaves or
internodes on twigs.
The process by which the meristematic tissues take up a permanent
shape,size and a function is called cell differentiation.
TYPES OF PERMANENT TISSUES:

• Simple permanent tissues

• Complex permanent tissues.
SIMPLE PERMANENT TISSUES:
➢ Parenchyma :

❖ It consist of relatively unspecialised cells with thin cell walls

❖ They are living cells
❖ They are loosely packed with lot of intercellular spaces.
❖ Parenchyma tissues provide support to the plants and also stores
food and water.
 ❖ Parenchyma with chlorophyll which performs photosynthesis is
called asChlorenchyma
❖ In aquatic plants large air cavities are present in parenchyma to
give buoyancy to plants to help them float,this type of
parenchyma are called Aerenchyma.

➢ Collenchyma:

❖ Collenchyma are found in the leaf stalks below the epidermis.

❖ The cells of this tissues are living,elongated and irregularly
thickened at the corners.
❖ They have very little intercellular space.
❖ This gives flexiblity to various plant parts like leaf, stem etc.,
which allows easy bending without breaking.
❖ It also provide mechanical support to plants.
➢ Sclerenchyma:

❖ The cells of sclerenchyma are dead.They are long and narrow.

❖ This contain a chemical substance called Lignin which act as a
cement and hardens them .
❖ The walls are very thick and there is no intercellular space
betweeen these cells.
❖ 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 plant parts and make them hard and stiff.
➢ Epidermal tissues and Guard cells:

❖ It forms the outer covering of the plants.

 ❖ They are usually made up of a single layer of closely packed
cells.
❖ It protects all the plant parts and helps in exchange of gases.
❖ In roots it helps in absorption of water and minerals.
❖ In the plants which live in dry habitats epidermis has a waxy
coating called cutin.This protects the plant against loss of water
by transpiration
❖ As the plant grows older, a strip of secondary meristem replaces
the epidermis of the stem, this forms several layer of thick cork
or bark of the tree.
❖ Cells of cork are dead and compactly arranged without
intercellular spaces.They also have a chemical substance called
suberin in their walls that makes them impervious to gases and
water.
COMPLEX PERMANENT TISSUES:
Complex tissues are made of more than one type of cells. All these
cells coordinate to perform a common function.
Two types of complex tissues are:

• Xylem and
• Phloem
 ➢ Xylem :
Xylem consist 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 xylem parenchyme stores food and helps in the sideways
conduction of water.
❖ Fibres are mainly supportive in function.
➢ Phloem :

❖ It is made up of four types of elements:

• Sieve tubes
• Companion cells
• Phloem fibres and
• Phloem parenchyma.
❖ Seive tubes are tubular cells with perforated walls.
❖ Phloem allows materials to move in both directions.
❖ Phloem transports food from leaves to other parts of the plant.
❖ Except for phloem fibres, phloem cells are living cells.
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