T.A.

MARRYSHOW COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF ARTS, SCIENCE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCE
YEAR 2 BIOLOGY

LAB # 9

TITLE: Transport in plants

SKILL: Drawing

AIM: To accurately draw, label, and annotate plant vascular tissue.

THEORY

Plant cells are formed at meristems, and then develop into cell types which are grouped into
tissues. Plants have only three tissue types: 1) Dermal; 2) Ground; and 3) Vascular. Dermal
tissue covers the outer surface of herbaceous plants. Dermal tissue is composed of epidermal
cells, closely packed cells that secrete a waxy cuticle that aids in the prevention of water loss.
The ground tissue comprises the bulk of the primary plant body. Parenchyma, collenchyma,
and sclerenchyma cells are common in the ground tissue. A generalized plant cell type,
parenchyma cells are alive at maturity. They function in storage, photosynthesis, and as the bulk
of ground and vascular tissues. Collenchyma cells support the plant and are characterized by
thickenings of the wall, they are alive at maturity. Sclerenchyma cells support the plant, they
often occur as bundle cap fibers. Sclerenchyma cells are characterized by thickenings in their
secondary walls. Xylem tissue of flowering plants consists of elongated tracheids and vessels,
which have no living contents, and form tubes in which water travels from the roots to the
leaves. The phloem is made up of living sieve tube elements and their companion cells. The
vascular cambium is the source of both the secondary xylem (inwards, towards the pith) and the
secondary phloem (outwards), and is located between these tissues in the stem and root. A few
leaf types also have a vascular cambium.

MATERIALS:
 Microscopic slides (Dicot Stem or Root)
 Drawing Materials
 Compound Microscope

PROCEDURE:

1. Examine the slide using the microscope.

2. Complete an accurate detailed drawing of a few xylem vessels and neighbouring

parenchyma cells.
3. Complete an accurate detailed drawing of a few sieve tubes and neighbouring cells.