Plant Histology II

Primary Growth

MERISTEMATIC TISSUE

Meristems: - Permanent regions of active cell division - (undifferentiated plant tissue)

= plant stem cells

3 types of meristematic tissues
Apical Lateral intercalary

i. ii. iii.

Apical Meristems
Found

at the tips of roots and shoots. Increase in length as the apical meristems produce new cells (primary growth).
Primary Meristems Protoderm Ground Meristem Procambium

Lateral Meristems
Produce tissues that increase the girth of roots and stems.

Involved in Secondary Growth

Cork Cambium - Lies outside vascular

cambium just inside the outer bark

Intercalary meristems
Develop at intervals along stems where they add to stem length.

TISSUES PRODUCED BY MERISTEMS

Parenchyma Collenchyma Sclerenchyma

Cross Section of a Stained Leaf

PARENCHYMA

Main type of cell making up the cortex All plant tissues contain parenchyma. Found in roots, stems and leaves. Normally they are unsepcialized Fx = act as a packing tissue which = can later be modified. Loosely packed (Called aerenchyma)

Parenchyma
Normally alive in maturity. In leaves: the chloroplasts are found in

parenchyma tissue (called clorenchyma) When the cells are turgid, they provide important support and shape to the plant.

COLLENCHYMA

Similar to parenchyma in shape

more elongated Can also be thickened in corners of cell wall (picture right)

Important in young plants, leaves, and older stems of non-woody plants wherever flexibility and support is important.

 Contains living cytoplasm Fx = Provides flexible support for organs. NB in young plants (< cellulose) found
beneath epidermis

COLLENCHYMA

Stained & unstained chollenchyma cells

SCLENENCHYMA
Cells with thick, tough, secondary walls Normally impregnated with lignin. < Flexible & stronger than collenchyma
Fx = mechanical (support ) & food storage.
2 TYPES OF CELLS (based on cell-shape)
Sclerids - Stone Cells Fibers - Contain Lumen

Scleroids
Found in
nut shells the hard part of seeds flexible floating leaf blades of water plants.

Stone cells in pear fruit

Sclerenchyma fibres
Elongated & thick
walled with flattened ends. E.g. Fibres from flax and hemp are used to make fabric and rope. The fibres also store food like starch for the plant

Sclerenchyma: Astroscleroidal & Fibre Cells

PLANT CONDUCTING TISSUE

2 MAIN TYPES OF CELLS

Xylem Phloem

Xylem & Phloem Cells

XYLEM
= Chief conducting tissue for water and minerals absorbed by the roots.
3 TYPES OF XYLEM TISSUE
Vessels - Made of vessel elements. Long tubes open at each end. Tracheids - Tapered at the ends with pits Allows for water to pass between cells. Rays - Lateral conduction of water and minerals.

Xylem Vessels

Xylem Tracheid

Xylem Vessel Element

Xylem Microscopy

Spiral thickenings in the secondary walls of vessels and tracheids gives

them the appearance of microscopic coils under high magnification with a light microscope.

Vascular Conducting Cells

Conducting cells of the xylem; tracheids (left)

are more primitive, while the various types of vessels (the other three) are more advanced.

Conductive Vessel Element in Mahogany Wood

PHLOEM
Fx = Conducts food materials produced by
photosynthesis throughout the plant.

Phloem cells as seen in longitudinal section. Note the longitudinal view of the sieve plate inside the large sieve tube cell

4 TYPES OF PHLOEM CELLS

1. Sieve Tube Members (makes up the sieve-tube functional unit) Large, cylindrical Sieve Plates - Porous region

Provide the energy needed for the long distance

transport of food. Also help determine the direction the food should be transported in.
Narrow, tapered

2. Companion Cells

Phloem Cells

3. Parenchyma Acts mainly as a storage place for food. They store many secondary metabolites such as tannins, starch, crystals, etc.

4. Sclerenchyma Fibres are very common in phloem (scleroids less common)

Longitudinal View of Phloem Cells

Microscopy: Phloem Cells

OTHER PLANT TISSUES

Neither vascular nor meristematic
2 TYPES
Epidermis Periderm

 = Outermost layer of cells.

(One cell-layer thick)

EPIDERMIS

* Most secrete fatty substance (cutin) on the surface of the outer walls.
Forms

cuticle.

Leave epidermal cells have stomata bordered by

pairs of guard cells

Root epidermal cells produce root hairs

EPIDERMIS

PERIDERM
= Outer bark

Primarily composed of cork cells.

Lenticles: Living tissues under the cork layer
(need oxygen) the periderm therefore possesses specialized pores for gaseous exchange called lenticles, made up of loosely packed parachyma cells with large air spaces. They protrude through the epidermis, and allows for adequate gaseous exchange.

PERIDERM