SEERVI

PLANT TISSUE
MERISTEMATIC TISSUE
 Cells of Meristem divide continuously & help in increasing the length and girth (circumference)
of the plant.
Characteristics
 The cells of meristematic tissue are similar in structure & have thin cellulose cell walls.
 The meristematic cells may be spherical, oval, polygonal or rectangular in shape.
 The meristematic cells are compactly arranged & do not contain any intercellular space between
them.
 Each meristematic cell contains dense or abundant cytoplasm & a single large nucleus.
 The meristematic cells contain few vacuoles or no vacuoles at all.
Occurrence
 Meristematic tissues are growth tissues & found in those regions of the plant that grow.
 On the basis of their position in the plant, meristems are apical, lateral & intercalary.
Function
 The main function of meristematic tissue is to continuously form a number of new cells.

Types of Meristematic Tissue

Meristematic Tissue
(On the basis of location)

Apical Meristem Lateral Meristem Intercalary Meristem

Apical meristems
 These are situated at the growing tip of the stems & roots, i.e., at shoot apex & root apex.
 Apical meristems are also found at apices of the leaves.
 It brings about the elongation of the root & stem.
 It results in increase in the height of the plant, which is called primary growth.
Lateral meristems
 These are found beneath the bark (cork cambium).
 They occur in thin layers.
 Cambium is the region which is responsible for growth in thickness.
 It causes the organ (stem or root) to increase in diameter & girth.
 This is called secondary growth.
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Intercalary meristems
 They are located at the base of leaves or base of internodes.
 It produces an increase of length of organ
 It gives rise to the growth of new buds from stem / branch.

PERMANENT TISSUE
 It is a group of differentiated cells.
 Differentiated cells → These cells have specific shape, size (structure) and they perform specific
functions.
 Permanent tissues are the group of specialized cells which perform specific functions.
 These tissues derived from the meristematic tissues but their cells have lost the power of
division & have attained their definite forms.
 Permanent tissues are classified into two-Simple Permanent tissue & Complex Permanent
tissue.
Permanent Tissue
(On the basis of complexity of cells)

Simple Permanent tissue Complex Permanent Tissue

(One type of cell) (Two or more type of cells)

SIMPLE PERMANENT TISSUE

 All cells are similar in origin, development, structure and functions. Thus, these tissues are all
made of one type of cells.
 They are of three types → I. Parenchyma II. Collenchyma III. Sclerenchyma
Simple Permanent tissue
(On the basis of structure and functions)

Parenchyma tissue Collenchyma tissue Sclerenchyma tissue

PARENCHYMA TISSUE
 Parenchyma forms the bulk of the plant body (most abundant plant tissue).
 Parenchyma cells are living & possess the power of their division.
 The cells are spherical, rounded or isodiametric (equally expanded on all sides).
 The parenchyma cells are oval, round, polygonal or elongated in shape.
 The cell wall is thin & encloses a dense cytoplasm which contains a small nucleus & surrounds
a large central vacuole.
 In other words, parenchyma cells have living protoplasm. Intercellular spaces are abundant.
 SEERVI
Occurrence
 The parenchyma is widely distributed in plant body such as stem, roots, leaves, flowers &
fruits. Thus, the parenchyma tissue is found in the soft parts of the plant such as cortex of
roots, ground tissues in stems & mesophyll of leaves.
 It is also distributed in pith, medullary rays & packing tissue in xylem & phloem.
 Chlorenchyma → Parenchyma cells having chloroplast.
Functions –
 Parenchyma serves as a packing tissue to fill the spaces between other tissues & maintain
the shape & firmness of the plant due to its turgid cells.
 The main function of parenchyma is to store & assimilate food.
 Parenchyma serves as food storage tissue.
 Transport of materials occurs through cells or cell walls of parenchyma cells.
 Parenchyma cells are metabolically active.

COLLENCHYMA
 Collenchyma tissue consists of living cells.
 It shows many of the features of parenchyma but is characterized by the deposition of extra
cellulose at the corners of the cells.
 In Collenchyma, intercellular spaces are generally absent.
 Collenchyma cells are elongated in shape.
 They often contain a few chloroplasts.
Occurrence
 The cells of Collenchyma are located below the epidermis of dicot stem & petiole.
 These cells also occur in midribs of dicot leaves.
 Collenchyma is absent in monocot stems, roots & leaves.
Functions
 Collenchyma is a mechanical tissue as it provides mechanical support & elasticity.
 Collenchyma provides tensile strength with flexibility to those organs in which it is found.
 It allows easy bending in various parts of a plant without actually breaking it.
 When cells of Collenchyma contain some chloroplasts, they manufacture sugar & starch.

SCELERENCHYMA
 Sclerenchyma cells are dead cells & they are devoid of protoplasm.
 The walls of cells of Sclerenchyma are greatly thickened with deposition of lignin.
 Such cells are called lignified.
 Due to excessive thickening of the wall of a Sclerenchyma cells, its cell cavity or lumen becomes
nearly absent.
 The cells of Sclerenchyma are closely packed without intercellular spaces.
Occurrence
 The Sclerenchyma occurs in abundance either in patches or definite layers.
 They are found in stems, roots, veins of leaves, hard covering of seeds & nuts.
 Sclereids form the gritty part of the most of the ripe fruits & contribute hardness to the seed
coat & nutshells.
Functions-
 The Sclerenchyma is mainly mechanical & protective in function.
 It gives strength, rigidity, flexibility & elasticity to the plant body and thus, enables it to
withstand various strains.
 SEERVI

Complex Permanent Tissue

 The complex tissues consist of more than one type of cells.
 All these cells co-ordinate to perform a common function.
 Xylem and phloem are both conducting tissues, also known as vascular tissues and together
constitute vascular bundles.
 Complex tissues transport water, mineral salts (nutrients) & food material to various parts of
plant body.
Complex tissues are of following two types → I. Xylem or wood II. Phloem or bast

Complex Permanent Tissue

(On the basis of transported substances)

Xylem Phloem
1. Tracheids 1. Sieve tube
2. Trachea (Vessels) 2. Companion cell
3. Xylem fibre 3. Phloem fibre
4. Xylem Parenchyma 4. Phloem parenchyma
 SEERVI

XYLEM
 Xylem is a vascular & mechanical tissue. It is a conducting tissue.
 Except xylem parenchyma, all other xylem elements are dead and bounded by thick lignified
walls.
 Among these four types of cells of xylem, most important cells are Trachea (vessels).
 Xylem transports the water and minerals from roots to all the parts of plant.
 Xylem is composed of cells of four different types among them only xylem parenchyma are living
cells.
1. Tracheids → long and narrow cells with pointed ends, cell walls are thick and lignified,
they are dead cells, do not have protoplasm.
2. Vessels or Trachea → cells with broader lumen, by uniting each other form tube like
structures, cell walls are lignified, they are dead cells, do not have
protoplasm.
3. Xylem fibre → they are long and elongated cells, lumen is narrow or completely missing
due to excessive deposition of lignin, they are also dead cells.
4. Xylem parenchyma → It is ordinary parenchyma , living cells.
Functions
 The main function of xylem is to carry water & minerals salts upward from the root to
different parts of shoots.
 Since walls of tracheids, vessels & sclerenchyma of xylem are lignified, they give mechanical
strength to the plant body.
PHLOEM
 Like xylem, it contains tubes but has no mechanical function.
 Phloem is composed of following four elements or cells.
1. Sieve tubes → Living cells with soft wall and large lumen (cavity), have more length than
width.
→ The end walls of the cells, which make sieve tube are perforated.
→ Sieve cells have many transverse plates (walls) having holes they are called sieve plates.
→ Sieve cells are devoid (lack) of nucleus.
2. Companion cells → They are parenchymatous cells having dense protoplasm with large
nucleus.
 SEERVI
3. Phloem fibres → They are made of Sclerenchyma and cell walls are lignified.
4. Phloem parenchyma → It is just like ordinary parenchyma.
 Except phloem fibres, all phloem cells are living cells.

Functions
 Phloem (sieve tube cells) transport photosynthetically prepared food materials from the leaves
to the storage organs and later from storage organs to the growing regions of the plant body.
 Phloem fibres provide mechanical strength.
 Companion cells control the activities of sieve tube cells.

Structure of Organs and Systems

Plant Tissue → Group of cells which are similar in origin, structure and function.
► These tissues can be simple, consisting of a single cell type, or complex, consisting of more than
one type of cell. The tissues can be classified on the basis of function, structure and location.
► Sachs (1875) recognized three types of tissue systems in plants on the basis of their structure
and location:
 Epidermal / Dermal tissue system,
 Ground tissue system
 Vascular or conducting tissue system.
Epidermal/dermal tissue system
– It forms the outer-most covering of entire plant structure.
– It consists of epidermal cells and associated structures such as stomata, epidermal
appendages (trichomes and hairs) and periderm.
Root Hair → hair present on the root.
Trichomes → hair present on stem and leaf.
– The epidermal cells are elongated (long), compactly arranged (closely attached) parenchyma
cells, which form a single continuous layer without intercellular space.
– The epidermis is usually covered with a thick waxy layer called cuticle, which help in the
prevention of water loss through transpiration.
– Cuticle is absent in some parts of plant body such as root.
– The epidermal tissue system of leaves and stems contain pores. Each pore is surrounded
 SEERVI
by living, two bean shaped cells known as guard cells. Two guard cells surrounding a pore
is called as stomata.
– The pore, guard cells and the surrounding subsidiary cells are together called stomatal
apparatus.
– Opening and closing of stomata regulates the gaseous exchange between plant and
environment.
Functions
– Epidermis covers and protects the plant body acting as plant’s skin.
– Helps in the prevention of water loss through transpiration.
– Helps in exchange of gases.
– Photosynthesis takes place in green cells.

Ground tissue system

– All tissues between epidermis and vascular tissue system or bundles constitute the ground
tissue or fundamental tissue
– Ground tissue is consists of parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma.
– In primary stem and root –
Extrastelar ground tissue → Cortex
Intrastelar ground tissue → pericycle, pith and medullary rays.
– In leaves –
The ground tissue composed of thin-walled chloroplast containing cells which is known as
mesophyll.

Vascular tissue system

– It is formed by vascular bundles or by Xylem and Phloem.
– The vascular bundles are made up of complex tissues, phloem and xylem.
– In dicotyledonous stems, cambium tissue is located between phloem and xylem.
– Xylem is made up of four types of cells known as tracheids, vessel elements, xylem
parenchyma and xylem fibre.
– Tracheids and vessel elements are nonliving, tube-like structures and act as pathways for
water and minerals to move from the roots to the leaves.
– Tracheids are distributed in all vascular plants but vessels are recently originated vascular
tissue found exclusively in angiosperms.
– Phloem consists of living sieve-tube cells, companion cells (Strausburger cell in
gymnosperms), phloem parenchyma and nonliving phloem fibres.
– Phloem cells assist in translocation of food material synthesized during photosynthesis
from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
EPIDERMIS
 It is usually present in the outermost layer of the plant body such as leaves, flowers, stem &
roots.
 Epidermis is one cell thick and is covered with cuticle.
 Cuticle is a water proof layer of a waxy substance called cutin which is secreted by epidermal
cells.
 Cuticle possesses variable thickness in plants such as it is thicker in xerophytic plants.
 Cells of epidermis are elongated & flattened & do not contain any intercellular space between
them.
 Their inner contents are similar to parenchyma cells.
Functions
 The main function of epidermis is to protect the plant from desiccation & infection.
 SEERVI
 In fact, cuticle of epidermis helps to reduce water loss by evaporation from the plant surface
as well as helping in preventing the entry of pathogens.

CORK
 As plants grow older, the outer protective tissue undergoes certain changes.
 A strip of secondary meristem, called phellogen or cork cambium replaces epidermis of stem.
 Cork cambium is a simple tissue having only one type of cells.
 The cells of cork cambium are rectangular.
 Cork cambium gives off new cells on its both sides, thus, forming cork on the outer side &
the secondary cortex or phelloderm on the inner side.
 The layer of cells which is cut by cork cambium on the outer side ultimately becomes several
layered thick cork or the bark of trees.
 Cells of cork are dead & compactly arranged without intercellular spaces.
 The walls of cork cells are heavily thickened by deposition of an organic substance, called
suberin.
 Suberin makes these cells impermeable to water & gases.
 The cork cells do not contain protoplasm but are filled with resin or tannins.
 In case of onion bulb too, in the skin of onion the cell walls become thick & water proof due
to addition of suberin.
 Cork is protective in function.
 Cork cells prevent desiccation, infection & mechanical injury.