Plant Anatomy and

Morphology II
Plant Structure
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHp_voyo7MY
Plant tissues
• Plant tissues have been traditionally grouped in the following tissue systems: protection
(epidermis and periderm), ground tissues (parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma), and
vascular (xylem and phloem). The protection system allows plants to survive in dry and variable
environments.
• Cell of epidermis are covered by cutin and suberin, waxes that avoid or decrease the water loss.
Furthermore, in the epidermis, plants develop stomata, which are organizations of specialized
cells for regulating transpiration and gas interchange between the plant and the air. Epidermis
also develops trichomes with several functions.
• The ground system is mainly involved in metabolic and mechanical support functions. Most of the
ground system is parenchymatic tissue, which carries out functions like photosynthesis and
storing different types of substances. Furthermore, the ground system contains cells specialized in
mechanical support like collenchyma and sclerenchyma, which keep upright the body of many
herbaceous plants and contribute to give the final shape of many plant organs.
• The vascular system is one of the most relevant novelties during plant evolution because it
communicates the different organs and parts of the plant by transporting molecules and water.
This system is composed of phloem, which transports organic substances diluted in water, and
xylem, which transports mainly water and inorganic substances. Besides communication, vascular
system became the main support tissue in larger plants like trees and bushes. Both,
communication and mechanical support, led plants to increase in size and to colonize many
nonaquatic territories. Only vascular plants contain true conducting tissues.
Plant tissue
Meristem
• A meristem is the tissue in most plants containing undifferentiated cells (meristematic cells),
found in zones of the plant where growth can take place. Meristematic cells give rise to various
organs of a plant and are responsible for growth. Differentiated plant cells generally cannot divide
or produce cells of a different type. Meristematic cells are incompletely or not at all
differentiated, and are capable of continued cellular division. Cells in the meristem, however,
divide and produce all of the new cells in a plant. ... Simple plant growth is facilitated by
meristem tissue because it is the primary site of nucleus cell division (mitosis) in the plant. Plants
develop new organs (stems, leaves, flowers, roots) via cell division and cell differentiation.
• There are three types of meristematic tissues: apical (at the tips), intercalary (in the middle) and
lateral (at the sides).
• There are two types of apical meristem tissue: shoot apical meristem (SAM), which gives rise to
organs like the leaves and flowers, and root apical meristem (RAM), which provides the
meristematic cells for future root growth.
• At the meristem summit, there is a small group of slowly dividing cells, which is commonly called
the central zone. Cells of this zone have a stem cell function and are essential for meristem
maintenance. The proliferation and growth rates at the meristem summit usually differ
considerably from those at the periphery.
Permanent (Long lasting) tissue - Parenchyma
• Parenchyma cells are usually
depicted as the typical plant cells
because they are not very
specialized.
• These cells synthesize and store
organic products in the plant.
• Most of the plant´s metabolism
takes place in these cells.
Parenchyma
• Parenchyma is not a highly specialized tissue involved in many functions such as
photosynthesis, storage, synthesis and processing of many substances, and tissue
repairing. In this tissue, only the parenchymatic cell type is present, which shows
a thin primary cell wall. From the evolutionary point of view, the parenchymatic
cell is regarded as the ancestor or precursor of the other cell types of the plant
because it is not much differentiated and shows similar behavior as meristematic
cells. For example, it can dedifferentiate by decreasing the thickness of the cell
wall, and becomes a totipotent cell that can proliferate. Thus, parenchyma is an
excellent source to produce callus (in vitro mass of undifferentiated cells that
proliferate and differentiate to give an adult plant). Parenchyma is a continuous
tissue in cortex and medulla of stems and roots, as well as in leaves, fruits pulp,
and seeds endosperm. It can account for around 80 % of the living cells of a plant.
Some parenchymatic cells are components of the vascular tissues, xylem and
phloem. The ability of plant tissues to be repaired after an injury depends
partially on parenchymatic cells.
Chlorenchyma
• Phosynthetic parenchyma. This type of parenchyma, also known as
chlorenchyma, is specialized in photosynthesis thanks to the many
chloroplasts present in the cells. Photosynthetic parenchyma is commonly
found under the epidermis, where light is more intense, and it is abundant
in leaves, but also in the cortex of green shoots. The photosynthetic
parenchyma of the leaves is known as mesophyll, which is usually divided
in two types: palisade and spongy mesophyll. Palisade mesophyll is close to
the upper epidermis of the leaves, where it gets more light, whereas the
spongy mesophyll is in the lower and darker side of the leaves.
Parenchymatic cells of the palisade mesophyll are more tightly packaged
and contain more chloroplasts, so that the photoshyntetic activity is higher.
In the spongy mesophyll, there are more empty intercelular spaces that
facilitates the movement of gases and water.
Storage parenchyma
• Storage parenchyma. The cells in this tissue synthesize and stores a
number of substances. Although these substances can be solid, like
starch grains and crystallized proteins, they are mostly found in
solution, such as lipids, proteins, and others. Usually they are stored
in vacuoles, which are the compartment specialized in storing
molecules. In the cytoplasm, some moleculares are also stored like
carbohydrates and nitrogenated substances. Some parenchymatic
cells store only one type of substance, but a mix of different
substances can also be found in the same cell. The mos frequent
stored molecule is starch. Stored proteins are a good source of
nitrogen, which is very important for the plant, and the destiny of
these proteins is usually degradation.
Parenchyma cells
• 1. The cells are generally oval or spherical in shape.
• 2. These cells are large and are not packed closely, i.e., intercellular spaces
are present.
• 3. Each cell has a large central vacuole and a peripheral cytoplasm with a
prominent nucleus.
• 4. These living cells are found in the soft parts of the plants, i.e., root, stem,
leaves, flowers, and fruits.
• 5. The important functions of these cells are storage of food, filling up
spaces between other tissues and providing support to the plant. When
they contain chloroplasts as in leaves, they help in the synthesis of food.
https://www.slideserve.com/otylia/lecture-8
Task 1: Parenchyma cells under microscope
1. Use a razor blade to cut several thin cross sections Tradescantia
stem
2. Examine the prepared slide of a Tradescantia stem cross section
plant stem.
3. Identify the parenchyma cells and intercellular spaces in the cross
section.
4. Draw it and describe it.
Collenchyma
• Collenchyma and sclerenchyma are supporting tissues in plants.
• They are composed of cells with thick cell walls that whithstand
mechanical forces.
• Although both tissues share the same function, they show different
location in the body plant and their cell walls have different structure
and texture.
• However, in plants with large aerial bodies, the structural support
function relies mainly on vascular tissues.
Task 2: Collenchyma cells under microscope
• Use a razor blade to cut several thin cross sections from a celery leaf
petiole.
• Examine them with your compound microscope.
• Identify the collenchyma and parenchyma cells in the celery cross
section.
• Draw it and describe it.
Sclerenchyma
• Sclerenchyma cells provide protective, vascular and supportive
functions.
• Sclereids are responsible for the shells of walnuts and the hardness of
date seeds. Their cells have an irregular shape, and their cell walls are
thick and hard. The cell walls contain simple pits or canals, which link
adjacent cells. Fibers help transport water in the plant and young;
living fibers store starch granules. Fiber cells are characterized by a
needle shape, pointed tips, small lumen and thick walls. Vascular
tissue of flowering plants contain plenty of fibers, whereas sclereids
are often found in fruits and seeds.
Sclerenchyma cells

1. Cells are thick-walled, hard and contain little or no

protoplasm.
2. The cells are oval, polygonal and are of different shapes.
3. The cells are dead and the nucleus is absent.
4. These cells are packed closely, i.e., intercellular spaces are
absent.
5. The cell wall is evenly thickened with lignin and perforated
with pits.
6. They provide strength and rigidity to the plant parts with
hardness.
Sclerenchyma
Task 3: Sclerenchyma cells under microscope
• Examine a prepared slide of a Tilia (basswood) one-year-old stem
cross section.
• Examine them with your compound microscope. Try to locate the
fibers.
• These fibers, which have very thick cell walls, are part of the phloem
Identify the phloem, phloem fibers, cortex, xylem, epidermis, and
pith.
• Draw it and describe it.
Task 4: Vascular bundle in root under
microscope
1) Examine a prepared slide of the
roots zone of maturation cross
section.
2) Examine them with your
compound microscope.
3) Try to locate the vascular
bundles, part of the phloem
Identify the phloem, phloem fibers,
cortex, xylem and rhizodermis.
In the roots, the vascular tissue is
organized within a single central
vascular cylinder.
4) Draw it and describe it.
Roots of Monocots and Dicots