Any Living Group of

Group of organs Group of tissues Group of Cells

organism systems

N.B: The tissue may be:

Simple tissue Compound tissue
Consists of cells that are symmetric in the structure, shape, and Consists of more than one type of cells
function (it consists of One type of cells)

Plant
tissues

Merestematic tissue Permenant tissue

Simple Complex

Parenchyma
Xylem

Collenchyma
Phloem
Sclerenchyma
 Meristematic tissue

 Define meristematic tissues.

Meristematic tissue may be defined as a group of living cells which are located at specific location and divide continuously to
add new cells to the plant body.

 Characteristics of meristematic tissues.

- Continuously dividing cells (Mitotically).
- Cells are small and isodiametric
- The cell wall is thin and made up of cellulose.
- Cytoplasm is abundant.
- Nuclei are large.
- Vacuoles are absent and if present, very few.
- Lack inter-cellular spaces.
- Metabolic activities are at high rate.
- Inorganic inclusion absent.
- Simple tissue

- The cells within meristems divide relatively frequently, generating additional cells. :
Some new cells remain in the Meristem and produce more Others differentiate and are incorporated into tissues and
cells organs of the growing plant.
 Simple plant tissues

 Description: a living tissue whose cells are characterized by the

following:
- Oval or rounded cells
- They have thin and elastic primary walls and most lack secondary
walls
- There are intercellular spaces between them for aeration
- Contain plastids (chloroplasts, chromoplasts or leucoplasts)
- Contain one big vacuole or more that is filled with water and
mineral salts

 Specialized types:

Parenchyma Aerenchym Chlorynchym

tissue is a modification of the parenchyma to form a A type of parenchymatous tissue
Description spongy tissue that creates spaces or air chambers that contains chlorophyll
↓↓density of submerged and floating aquatic Carry out photosynthesis
Function plants process

 Functions of Parenchyma tissue:

1- Perform photosynthesis process in the Parenchyma cells of the leaf
2- Store nutrients such as starch
3- Responsible for aeration
4- Most parenchyma cells can divide and differentiate into other types of plant cells under particular
conditions (During wound repair)

 Location: In all parts of the plant (Root, stem and leaves)

  Description: a living tissue whose cells are characterized by:
- Somewhat rectangular in shape
- Their walls are irregularly thickened by cellulose →1ry wall
→(Thicker walls than parenchyma)
Collenchyma
 Function: provides support, structure, mechanical strength, and
tissue
flexibility to the petiole, and stem of young plants (without
restraining growth)

 Location: In plant leaves and plant stem, Not present in the root

 Description: a non-living tissue whose cells are characterized by:

 Their walls are thickened by lignin substance in addition to cellulose→
(secondary wall)
 Mature sclerenchyma cells cannot elongate, and they occur in regions
Sclerenchyma of the plant that have stopped growing in length.
tissue
 Function: Strengthening and supporting the plant by acquiring it
hardness and elasticity

 types:
Complex plant tissues
  Structure: Consists of vessels – tracheids – Parenchyma cells

Xylem (1) Vessels: They are tubes, each of them is made up of a vertical raw of cells
tissue  Steps of formation of xylem vessels:
(1) At first, The transverse walls of the cylindrical cells have been completely dissolved, and so the cells
become joined with ends (one tube)
(2) The cellulose wall of cell is thickened by lignin substance which is impermeable to water and solutes
(3) The protoplasmic contents of cells died, leaving a hollow vessel (tube)

 Numerous pits are scattered all over the vessel wall, there the primary wall is left without thickening to
allow the passage of water from inside the vessel to its outside

 Strands of lignin are laid down on the inner lining of vessel with various forms, such as annular and
spiral to support the vessel and prevent the collapse of its wall inwards
 (2) Tracheids: Each of them is composed of one cell, where:
 The protoplasm disappeared from it
 Their walls get lignified
 They appear in T.S. with:
- A pentagonal or hexagonal form
- A pointed (Tapered), as the two ends are not opened and they are pitted

(3) Xylem parenchyma: Rows of parenchyma cells that present between the
xylem vessels

 Functions:
(1) Transporting water and salts from the root to the stem then to leaves
(2) Supporting the plant
  Structure: Consists of sieve tubes – companion cells- phloem parenchyma

Phloem

(1) sieve tubes:

- They originate from a vertically compacted cells above each other where:
 Their nuclei disappeared
 Their separating walls became perforated and called sieve plates to allow the passage of cytoplasm
through them in the form of cytoplasmic strands
(2) Companion cells:
- They are living cells that are located adjacent to sieve tubes, to provide them with the required energy to
perform their function
- They are connected to the sieve tube element by numerous plasmodesmata.
- The nucleus and ribosomes of the companion cell serve not only that cell itself but also the adjacent sieve
tube element.
 Function:
Transporting the nutrients that are resulted during photosynthesis from the leaves to the other plant parts
 Primary and secondary growth
There are two main types of meristems: apical meristems and lateral meristems
Apical meristems Lateral meristems called the vascular cambium and cork cambium
located at the tips of roots and shoots  Woody plants, also grow in circumference in the parts of stems And
provide additional cells that enable growth in length roots that no longer grow in length. growth in thickness (secondary
(primary growth) growth)
↓  The vascular cambium adds layers of vascular tissue called
Allows roots to extend throughout the soil and secondary xylem (wood) and secondary phloem.
shoots to increase their exposure to light.  The cork cambium replaces the epidermis with the thicker, tougher
periderm.
 Monocots and Dicots

Roots
Primary Structure of Monocot Root-maize Root
- The outermost layer of the root.

- Consists of a single row of thin-walled parenchymatous cells without any intercellular space.
Piliferous Layer
or Epiblema - Epidermal pores and cuticle are absent in the piliferous layer.

- Root hairs that are found in the piliferous layers are always unicellular.

- They absorb water and mineral salts from the soil.

 - It is made up of only one type of tissue called parenchyma.

- It consists of many layers of thin-walled parenchyma cells with lot of intercellular spaces.
- The function of cortical cells is storage → ‫ فيها‬central vacuole

- Chloroplasts are absent in the cortical cells, but they store starch. The cells are living and possess
leucoplasts.

- The inner layer of the cortex is endodermis. It is composed of single layer of barrel shaped
parenchymatous cells. → forms a complete ring around the stele.
Cortex
- There is a band like structure made of suberin and lignin present in the radial and inner tangential
walls of the endodermal cells (casparian strips)

- The endodermal cells, which are opposite the protoxylem elements, are thin walled without casparian
strips (passage cells) → their function is to transport water and dissolved salts from the cortex to the
xylem.

- Water cannot pass through other endodermal cells due to casparian strips.

- The main function of casparian strips in the endodermal cells is to prevent the re -entry of water into the
cortex once water entered the xylem tissue.
Vascular - All the tissues inside the endodermis comprise the stele.
cylinder(stele) - This includes pericycle, vascular system and pith.
Pericycle - Pericycle is the outermost layer of the stele and lies inner to the endodermis.
- It consists of single layer of parenchymatous cells.
Vascular
System - Composed of Xylem and phloem arranged in Radial arrangement
 - The central portion is occupied by a large pith.
Pith - It consists of thin- walled parenchyma cells with intercellular spaces.
- These cells are filled with abundant starch grains.

.
 Difference between Dicot and Monocot Root

Dicot Root Monocot Root

Pericycle

Gives rise to cork cambium, parts of the vascular cambium, and lateral roots Gives rise to lateral roots only

Vascular Tissues

Has a limited number of Xylem and Phloem Has a higher number of Xylem and Phloem

Shape of Xylem

Angular or Polygonal Round or Oval

Number of Xylem and Phloem

2 to 8 8 to many

Mechanisms of water absorption

apoplastic route symplastic route transmembrane route

Water and solutes move along  water and solutes move along the The transmembrane route requires repeated
the continuum of cell walls and continuum of cytosol crossings of plasma membranes as substances
extracellular spaces. exit one cell and enter the next.
 After entering one cell, substances can
move from cell to cell via
plasmodesmata.
 Stem

Structure of stem
First Second Third
Epidermis Cortex Vascular cylinder
 Parenchyma cells.  Collenchyma cells.  Pericycle.
 Vascular bundles:
 Parenchyma cells. 1. Phloem
2. Cambium
 Starch sheath. 3. Xylem
 Pith.
 Medullary rays.
 It consists of:
Epidermis One row of adjacent and barrel-shaped parenchyma cells, where the outer walls
are covered by a cuticle (layer of cutin).
It consists of:
1. Collenchyma cells :
 Description:
- They are several rows of cells which have thickened comers by the
Cortex
deposition of cellulose and they may contain chloroplasts.
 Functions :
- Act as a mechanical tissue for the support of stem.
- Take part in the photosynthesis process (in case of the presence of chloroplasts).
 2. Parenchyma cells :
 Description: they are several rows of parenchyma cells with plenty of
intercellular spaces.
 Function: aeration.

3. Starch sheath :
 Description: the innermost row of cells in the cortex.
 Function : storing and keeping the starch granules
 It occupies a large space of the stem.
 It consists of: - Pericycle. - Vascular bundles - Pith. - Medullary rays.

1. Pericycle:
 Description:
- A group of parenchyma cells alternates with groups of fibrous cells.
- Each group of fibers faces a vascular bundle from outside.
 Function: makes the stem strong and elastic.

2. Vascular bundles
Vascular Phloem Cambium Xylem
cylinder It represents  Description: it consists of one row It represents
the outer or more of meristematic cells that the internal
tissue (part) are found between the phloem and tissue (part)
of the xylem. of the
vascular  Function: its cells divide to give a vascular
bundle. secondary phloem externally and a bundle
secondary xylem internally.

3. Pith
 Description: parenchyma cells occupying the centre of the stem.
 Function: storage.
4. Medullary rays:
 Description: parenchyma cells extending between the vascular bundles.
 Function: join the cortex with the pith.