BIO 101 Laboratory

This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.

Don’t use this in your lecture class.

EXERCISE VII
PLANT TISSUES

A. MERISTIMATIC TISSUES / MERISTEMS

composed of mitotically dividing cells

responsible for elongation & widening the diameter of plant organs
1. Apical Meristem

found at the tips of stems (shoot apical meristem) & roots (root apical meristem); produce
primary tissues

account for primary growth → elongation of roots & shoots

Root Apical Meristem Shoot Apical Meristem

(RAM) (SAM)

2. Intercalary Meristem

occur between mature tissues

most common in grasses → occur at the bases of the nodes

help regenerate parts removed by grazing herbivores

for rapid elongation of the internodes in monocots

3. Lateral Meristem

cylindrical meristems that form the subapical regions of the roots & shoots of woody plants

produce secondary growth → increases the girth of the plant

secondary growth makes the plant sturdier enabling it to grow taller & intercept light

it includes the vascular cambium & cork cambium (also, phellogen)
 vascular cambium → forms the wood (secondary xylem) & secondary phloem
 cork cambium (phellogen
phellogen)
phellogen → forms the periderm which in turn forms a layer of dead,
suberized cells that protects the inner tissues of the secondary plant body

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
Don’t use this in your lecture class.

Intercalary Meristem Lateral Meristem

(found only in monocots) (Vascular cambium & Cork Cambium)

B. PROTECTIVE TISSUES / DERMAL TISSUES

comprise the outermost layer of the plants
1. Epidermis

dermal tissue that covers the primary body of the plant, protecting the underlying tissues

regulates the movement of gases between the plant and the atmosphere

sheet of cutinized cells covering the plants to protect it against rapid water loss &
mechanical injury

modified epidermal cells:
 Guard Cells
 kidney-shaped in dicots
 dumbbell-shaped in monocots
 Trichomes
 single-celled or multicellular outgrowths of epidermal cells
 found in leaves, stems, flowers, & fruits
 e.g.: cotton fibers → from the epidermis of cotton seeds
2. Cork

the outermost part of the periderm

secondary tissue produced by the cork cambium

Epidermis with Guard Cells & Trichomes Cork

Stomata
Stomata

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
Don’t use this in your lecture class.

C. FUNDAMENTAL/ GROUND TISSUES

more variable in function & type

it constitute the mesophyll in leaves & the cortex & pith in stems & roots
1. Parenchyma

isodiametric or polyhedral cells with prominent protoplast & thin walls

common examples are:
 Chlorenchyma – contains chloroplasts
 Aerenchyma – cells with prominent intercellular spaces
2. Collenchyma

consists of cells with unevenly thickened cell walls

functions for support
3. Sclerenchyma

consists of cells which are devoid of protoplast upon maturity but has thick lignified walls

two types of cells:
 Sclerids – short & polygonal
 e.g.: stone cells in pears gives it a gritty texture (rough)
 Fibers – long and with tapering ends
 e.g.: hemp fibers for making ropes

Parenchyma Collenchyma Sclerenchyma

Distinguishing
made up of
Features parenchyma cells →
usually many sided
Cell Wall
primary or secondary;
may be lignified,
suberized, or cutinized

alive at maturity
Location on
Throughout the plant
the Plant Body body
Function
for metabolic processes
support in primary plant
such as respiration &
photosynthesis; storage
& conduction; wound
healing & regeneration

made up of collenchyma
cells → elongated in
shape

unevenly thickened
primary cell wall only;
not lignified

alive at maturity

beneath the epidermis in
young elongating stems
often seen as a cylinder
of tissue or only in
patches in ribs along
veins in some leaves
body

made up of fibers (long
slender cells typically
occurring in strands) &
sclerids (variable shape,
shorter than fibers)

primary & thick secondary;
usually lignified

maybe alive or dead at
maturity

Fibers: usually associated
with xylem & phloem; in
leaves in monocots;
sometimes in cortex of
stems

Sclerids: throughout the
plant

Fibers → for support

Sclerids → for protection &
mechanical support

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
Don’t use this in your lecture class.

Parenchyma Cells Chollenchyma Cells Sclerenchyma Cells

Sclerenchyma (Fiber Cells) Sclerenchyma (Stone Cells)

D. Vascular / Conducting Tissues

Vascular tissues are complex → i.e. composed of four types of cells
1. Xylem

for transport of water & dissolved minerals absorbed by the roots from the soil

composed of fibers, parenchyma cells, vessels (large), & tracheids (small, devoid of
protoplast)
 Vessels & Tracheids
 main water-conducting elements
 exhibit secondary wall thickenings which can be annular, spiral, scalariform,
reticulate, or pitted

Xylem showing vessel elements & tracheids

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
Don’t use this in your lecture class.

in longitudinal (left) and transverse (right) sections.

2. Phloem

for transport of food materials from the leaves to all plant parts

in woody stems, phloem tissues constitute the greater bulk of the bark

consists of fibers, parenchyma cells, & sieve tube cells (devoid of protoplast)
 Sieve Tube Cells
 main food-conducting elements
 thick-walled & provided at both ends with perforated sieve plates
 companion cells → associated with sieve tube cells

Phloem showing sieve tube members & companion cells

in longitudinal (left) & transverse (right) sections.

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
Don’t use this in your lecture class.

PLANT ORGANS
Vegetative Plant Organs:
1. Roots
2. Stems
3. Leaves

Reproductive Plant Organs:

1. Flowers
2. Fruits
3. Seeds

A. ROOTS
Root System

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
Don’t use this in your lecture class.

Monocot Root

Young Eudicot Root

1. Epidermis – uncutinized cells with root hairs (to facilitate absorption)

2. Cortex – multi-layered parenchyma cells:

Endodermis = inner most layer (endodermal cells)

Casparian strip = suberized

Passage cells = for water transport
3. Stele – innermost cylinder

Pericycle – made up of parenchyma cells; gives rise to the vascular cambium &
secondary/lateral roots

Xylem – 3-4 radial rows of thick walled cells alternating with thin phloem cells

Vascular cambium – meristimatic zone between phloem & xylem

Phloem – thin-walled; food conducting cells alternating with xylem rays

Pith – if present, composed of parenchyma cells

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
Don’t use this in your lecture class.

B. Stems
Morphology

Monocot stem (cross section)

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
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C. Leaf
Morphology Venation

Monocot Eudicot
(Parallel) (Netted/Reticulated)
Monocot Eudicot

Simple Leaf

Pinnately Compound Leaf Palmately Compound Leaf

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
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Leaf Arrangement

Whorled
Alternate Opposite

Monocot:

Eudicot:

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
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D. Flower
Morphology

Complete Flower – has all 4 parts (sepals, petals, pistil, stamen)

Incomplete – lacks one or more of the 4 parts

Perfect Flower (bisexual) – has both stamens & carpels/ovary

Imperfect Flower (unisexual)– has stamen or carpel but not both
Imperfect flower = Incomplete Flower

Monoecious – male & female reproductive parts in separate flowers (e.g.: corn)

Dioecious – male & female reproductive parts in separate plants (e.g.: papaya)

Inflorescence

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
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E. Fruit

matured / ripened ovary

holds & protects seeds

Simple Fruit – developed from a single ovary

Aggregate – several ovaries of a flower (sugar apple)

Multiple – several ovaries of several flowers (pineapple)

TERMS:

Pericarp - the fruit wall (derived from the ovary of the pistil) which is composed of the exocarp,
mesocarp and endocarp (the three layers are not always recognizable, ex. dry fruit)

Endocarp - the innermost layer of the pericarp (often hard, stony or papery)

Mesocarp - the middle layer of the pericarp (often fleshy)

Exocarp - the outermost layer of the pericarp (often like a skin or peel). (peach)

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
Don’t use this in your lecture class.

Types of Fruits

Fleshy

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
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Dry Fruits

Dry Dehiscent

Dry Indehiscent

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 BIO 101 Laboratory
This serves as a supplement in the laboratory.
Don’t use this in your lecture class.

F. Seed
Albuminous (Endospermic) Seed :

Exalbuminous (Non-
(Non-endospermic) Seed

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