Tissues

→ A group of cells that are similar in structure and/or work together to

achieve a particular function forms a tissue.
→ Most of the tissues in plants are supportive, which provides them
with structural strength.
→ These tissues are dead, since dead cells can provide mechanical
strength as easily as live ones and need less maintenance.
→ Plant Tissues are of two types Meristematic & Permanent tissues
Meristematic Tissue

→ These are simple living tissues having thin walled compactly arranged
immature cells which are capable of division and formation of new cells.
Features of Meristematic tissues:
→ Thin primary cell wall (cellulosic).
→ Intercellular spaces are absent (compact tissue).
→ Generally vacuoles are absent, dense cytoplasm & prominent nuclei are
present.
→ Large numbers of cell organelles are present.
→ Active metabolic state, stored food is absent.
→ Actively dividing cells are present in growing regions of plants, example:
root & shoot tips.
Classification of Meristematic Tissues on the Basis
of Location
• Apical Meristem
→ It is present at the growing tips of stems and roots.
→ Cell division in this tissue leads to the elongation of stem & root, thus it is involved in
primarygrowth of the plant.
• Intercalary Meristem
→ It is present behind the apex.
→ It is the part of apical meristem which is left behind during growth period.
→ These are present at the base of leaf & internode region.
→ These lead to the increase in the length of leaf (Primary), example: in grass stem, bamboo stem,
mint stem etc.
Location of M.T in plant body
• Lateral Meristem
→ It is also called as secondary meristem.
→ It occurs along the sides of longitudinal axis of the plant.
→ It gives rise to the vascular tissues.
→ Causes growth in girth of stem & root.
→ They are responsible for secondary growth.
Nodes
PERMANENT TISSUE
• P.t are composed of those cells who have lost the ability to divide
• They have definite shape,size and thickness.
• P.t can be dead or living.
• The division and differentiation of M.T give rise to P.T.
• In cell differentiation,developing tissue and organs change from simple to
more complex form to become specialisedfor specific functions
• The cells of permanent tissue loose the capacity to divide and attain a
permanent shape, size and function.
• Permanent tissues are classified into two types on the basis of Structure
and Composition i.e. Simple Permanent Tissues and Complex Permanent
Tissue
Simple Permanent Tissues

→ These are made up of same type of cells which are similar

structurally and functionally.
→ They include two types of tissue Protective tissues and Supporting
Tissues.
• Protective Tissues: These tissues are primarily protective in function.
→ They consist of Epidermis and Cork/Phellem.
(FIG 6.6)
EPIDERMIS

• Epidermis forms one cell thick outermost layer of various body organs of
plants such as leaves,flowers,stems, and roots. Epidermis tissue covers the
entire body of plant
• Epidermis is covered outside by cuticle.Cuticle is a water proof layer of
waxy substance called as cutin which is secreted by the epidermal cells.This
aids in protection against loss of water,Mechanical injury
• Cuticle is very thick in xerophytes.( a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an
environment with little liquid water, such as a desert or an ice- or snow-covered region in the Alps or
the Arctic. plants) Popular examples of xerophytes are cacti, pineapple )
• Cells of epidermis of leaves are not continuous at some places due to the
presence of small pores called stomata
• Each stomata is guarded by a pair of bean shaped cells called guard
cells.These are the only epidermal cells which possess choloroplast,The rest
being colourless.
EPIDERMIS
• Functions of Epidermis
• → The main function of epidermis is to protect the plant from (process of
being completely dry)desiccation and infection,injury,water loss

• → Cuticle of epidermis cuts the rate of transpiration and evaporation

of water and prevents wilting.
• → Stomata in epidermis allow gaseous exchange to occur during
photosynthesis respiration.
• → Stomata also helps in transpiration.
(ii)Cork/Phellem
→ In older roots and stems, tissues at the periphery become cork cells
or phellem cells.
→ Cork is made up of dead cells with thick walls and do not have any
intercellular spaces.
→ The cell walls in cork deposit waxy substance called as suberin.
→ The cells of cork become impermeable to water and gases due to
the deposition of suberin.
→ The cork cells are without any protoplasm but are filled with resins
or tannins
Functions of Cork

→ Cork is protective in function. Cork cells prevent desiccation,

infection and mechanical injury.
• Imperviousness,lightness,toughness,compressibility,and elasticity
make the cork commercially valuable
• Cork is used for insulation, as shock absorber in linoleum.
→ Cork is used in the making of a variety of sport goods such as cricket
balls, table tennis, shuttlecocks, wooden paddles etc.
• Supporting Tissues: These are supportive in function.
→ There are three types of Supporting tissues i.e. Parenchyma, Collenchyma and
Sclerenchyma.

(i) Parenchyma
→Parenchyma simple tissues: Cells of parenchyma tissues are live. They are oval,
sphericald and loosely packed thus with large inter-cellular space, forming basic
packing of tissue and are found throughout the plant body.
Functions of parenchyma:
They provide mechanical support to the plant body.
They store food and nutrients in vacuoles.
Chlorenchyma: Parenchyma with chlorophyll which performs photosynthesis is
called as chlorenchyma.

Aerenchyma: In aquatic plants, cells of parenchyma have large air cavities to give
buoyancy to the plant and is called aerenchyma .
(ii)collenchyma
• (b) Collenchyma simple Tissues: Cells of collenchyma are live. They
are oval and elongated and tightly packed with no inter-cellular
spaces.thickened at the corner. They are found below epidermis in
leaves and stem.
• Functions of collenchymas tissues:
• They provides mechanical support to plant.
• They also provide flexibility to plants so that they can bend without
breaking.eg in various parts of lants like tendrils and stems of
climbers
(iii) Sclerenchyma:
• Cells of sclerenchyma are dead. They are narrow and elongated. The
cell wall in sclerenchyma is composed of lignin which makes it
hard.due to thick wall no internal space is present . Sclerenchyma are
found around vascular bundles,stems, veins of leaves in hard covering
of seeds and nuts. For example: Sclerenchyma tissues are found in
coconut husk.
Functions of sclerenchyma:
• They help to makes parts of plant hard and stiff.
• Also provides mechanical strength
(i) Parenchyma
→ It is the most common tissue
→ Thin walled cells, oval or spherical in structure.→( Cell wall mainly composed of cellulose & pectin.)
→ Large central vacuole for food & water storage.
→ Primary function is food storage.
→ In typical parenchyma chlorophyll is absent.
→ Chloroplast containing parenchyma tissue are chlorenchyma which perform photosynthesis such as mesophyll of leaves.
→ In hydrophytic plants aerenchyma (a type of parenchyma containing air spaces) provides
buoyancy.
→ Parenchyma provides turgidity to cell
• Collenchyma
• It is the living mechanical tissue.
• Elongated cells with thick corners.
• Localized cellulose & pectin thickening.
• (ii) Complex tissues: Group of different type of cells performing
common task together are named as complex tissues.
• Complex tissues are of two types:
• (a) Xylem (b) Phloem
(a) Xylem:
This is the tissue that transports water and nutrients from root to upper
parts of plant. It is composed of four types of cells i.e., tracheid, vessel,
xylem parenchyma and xylem sclerenchyma (fibre).

Structure of Xylem Tissue

1.Trachieds are long elongated cells with tapered ending. Trachied cells are
dead. Tracheid transports water through pits.
2. Vessel is a pipe like structure. Vessels are dead and have lignified thick cell
wall.Tracheids and vessels transport water and minerals vertically
3. Parenchymas are living cells. They store food and nutrients.
4. Sclerenchymas (fibres) are dead cells. They provide mechanical support to
plant.
(b) Phloem
• Phloem is the tissue that transports food from site of photosynthesis
to different parts of plants.

• It is composed of four types of cell i.e. sieve cells, companion cells,

phloem parenchyma, phloem fibre or blast fibre. Al types of cells are
live except phloem fibres.
EPITHELIAL TISSUE
• ANIMAL TISSUE:Sub divided as epithelial tissue, connective tissue, muscular tissue and nervous tissue.

• Epithelial tissue: It is a protective covering forming a continuous sheet. Simple epithelium is the one which is
extremely thin in one layer, whereas stratified epithelium are arranged in pattern of layers.
• Depending on shape and function they are classified as:

• a) Squamous epithelium in the lining of mouth and esophagus.

• b) Cuboidal epithelium in the lining of kidney tubules and salivary glands.

• c) Columnar epithelium in the intestine &Columnar epithelium with cilia in the lining of respiratory tract.

• d) Glandular epithelium in the Glands aids in a special function as gland cells, which can secrete at the
epithelial surface.
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
• a) Blood: The Blood is a fluid connective tissue. Blood plasma has RBCs (Red Blood Cells) WBCs
(White Blood Cells) and platelets. Blood plasma contains proteins, salts and hormones.
Function:a) Blood flows and transports gases, digested food, hormones and waste materials.

• b) Bone: The bone is a connective tissue with hard matrix, composed of calcium and phosphorus.
Function:
a)It forms the framework that supports the body.
b)It anchors the muscles and supports the main organs of the body
• A bone is connected by another bone with another connective tissue called ligaments.It is very
elastic.it has considerable strength.contains very little matrix.
• A bone is connected by muscle with another connective tissue called tendon.Tendons are
fibrous tissue with great strength but limited flexibilty
Ligament& tendon
• c) Cartilage: The cartilage is a connective tissue with solid matrix composed
of proteins and sugars. It is commonly seen in nose, ear, trachea, and
larynx
FUNCTION:
a)Cartilage smoothens bone surfaces at joints

• d) Areolar Connective Tissue: It is found between the skin and muscles,

around the blood vessels. It fills the space inside organ,supports internal
organs and aids in repair of tissues.

• e)Adipose Connective Tissue: It is filled with fat globules for the storage of
fat. It acts as insulator.
• Areolar tissue

• Adipose tissue
Muscular tissue
• Muscular tissues: They have special contractile proteins responsible for
movements.they are long fiber like cells called muscle fibers. Three types,
such as;
• Striated muscles/skeletal muscles/voluntary muscles :
• They are cylindrical, un-branched and multinucleated. They have dark
bands and light bands.
• Unstriated muscles /smooth muscles/involuntary muscles:
• They are commonly called as Smooth muscles, having no striations (dark
bands/ light bands are absent). Commonly found alimentary canal, uterus,
Iris of an Eye. They are spindle shaped. Involuntary in nature.
• Cardiac Muscles: They are commonly called as Heart muscles, cylindrical,
branched and uni-nucleate. Involuntary in nature .
Nervous tissue
• Nervous Tissue: The tissue responds to stimuli. The brain, spinal cord
and nerves are composed of nervous tissue or neurons. A neuron
consists of Cell Body, cytoplasm, Nucleus, Dendrite, Axon, nerve
ending. The neuron impulse allow us to move our muscles when we
want to respond to stimuli.