Exercise 7
Internal Morphology of a Stem
Ernest R Dimakiling March 10, 2015
Results:
1. Young Herbaceous Dicot Stem
2. Young Woody Dicot Stem
3. Old Woody Dicot Stem
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4. Monocot Stem
Answers to Questions:
1. Young Herbaceous Dicot Stem
a) The tissue that occupies the centre of the dicot stem is the pith and is composed primarily of
large parenchyma cells.
b) The vascular bundles of a young herbaceous dicot stem are arranged in a circle.
c) The pith rays functions through connecting the pith and the cortex by living cells to achieve
proper coordination across all the vital activities inside the plant.
d) A herb is any seed-bearing plant with fleshy rather than woody parts and is valued for their
flavour, fragrance, medicinal and healthful qualities, economic and industrial uses, pesticidal
properties, and even as colouring materials.
e)
Criteria Herbaceous Stem Woody Stem
Colour Green Brown
Texture Smooth Rough
Diameter of the Stem Narrower Wider
Life Span Shorter Longer
Secondary growth (+,-) - +
2. Young Woody Dicot Stem
a) Xylem and Phloem are called as complex tissues for these are made up of various types of cells
and work in a coordinated routine to execute numerous functions.
b) Structurally, herbaceous stems lack bark and are more ductile and soft, and by which only last
for a year or two.
c) A two-year old “twig” will not have only primary growth. It would also not have exclusively
secondary growth since primary growth is needed for woody plants to grow even bigger. A twig is
a term for stems that are just a couple of days old. After 2 years, these twigs will form branches.
So, it is somehow impossible for a two-year old “twig” to exhibit only primary growth or only
secondary growth for after 2 years in a woody branch, it will exhibit both primary and secondary
growth.
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3. Old Woody Dicot Stem
a) Yes, it is still possible to have primary tissues in the specimen provided. It is because primary
tissues are somehow involved in sugar transport and the formation of secondary tissues and at
times these primary tissues remain intact in or around the centre of the stem.
b) The primary permanent tissues present in the old woody stem are the periderm and the cork
cambium.
c) There is no clear trace of annual rings in the specimen. The approximate age of the specimen is
cannot be determined due to the fact that the age of the tree is with accords to the number of
annual rings present in it.
d) The heartwood in the specimen is physiologically inactive. It is because it is not involved in
any mechanical activities inside the tree and which by the way only store tannins, oils, gums,
resins and others. Moreover, it exclusively functions as a support for mechanical-based activities.
e) Removing a ring of bark around a tree kills it because, in the more inner part of the bark lie a
thin layer called, cambium would be exposed. The cambium functions to transport substances
between leaves and the roots with coordination of the bark. If the tree would be ring-barked, the
connection between the transports of these vital nutrients to the different parts of the tree will be
cut causing the tree to eventually die.
f)
Criteria Sapwood Heartwood
Location Outer Central/Inner
Colour Lighter Darker
Function Transport of H2O and minerals Mechanical Support
Composed of dead or living Cells Composed of Living Cells Composed of Dead Cells
Resistance to decay Slightly resist since amount of Greatly resist since amount of
sapwood remains almost heartwood increases as the tree
constant grows older
4. The Monocot Stem
a) No, monocot stems do not have vascular cambium. In fact, vascular cambium is absent in
monocot stems.
b) Yes, the tissues found in the monocot stem are primary.
c) Yes, primary growth causes an increase in diameter and length. Monocot stems increase due to
the activity of a primary thickening meristem in which it is derived from the apical meristem.
d)
Criteria Dicot Stem Monocot Stem
Arrangement of Vascular Bundles In Circle Scattered
Presence of Pith Present Absent/Not marked out
Hypodermis Collenchymatous Sclerenchyma
Presence of Pith Rays Present in between vascular Absent/Not marked out
bundles
Bundle Sheath Absent Present
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