Plant Organs: Stems

Lesson 7
Stem structure
and function
• Stems link a plant’s roots to
its leaves and are usually
aerial, although many plants
have underground stems.
• Ropelike vines to massive
three trunks
• Either herbaceous (soft,
nonwoody tissues) or woody
(extensive hard tissues of
wood and bark)
• Most are circular in cross
section
Three (3) functions
of stems
1. Support leaves and
reproductive structures
2. Conduct water,
dissolved minerals, and
carbohydrates
3. Produce new living
tissues at apical
meristems and in plants
with secondary growth,
at lateral meristems.
Woody twig exemplifies
the external structure
of all stems
• All stems have buds
• Tip of the stem- terminal bud
• Under dormancy terminal bud is
covered and protected by bud
scales (modified leaves)
• Axillary buds (lateral buds)-
found in the axils-upper angles
between the leaves and the
stem to which they are attached.
• When terminal and axillary buds
grow, they form stems that
bear leaves and/or flowers.
Woody twig exemplifies
the external structure
of all stems
• The area on a stem where
each leaf is attached is called
a node.
• The region of stem between
two successive nodes-
internode
• Leaf scar- shows where a
leaf was attached on the stem
• Lenticels- allows gas
exchange to occur (tiny marks
or specks on the bark of a
twig)
 Herbaceous stem tissue
functions
• An herbaceous stem consists of
an epidermis, vascular tissue,
and cortex and pith, or
ground tissue.
• The epidermis is covered by
cuticle.
• Xylem conducts water and
dissolved minerals.
• Phloem conducts dissolved
carbohydrates (sucrose).
• The cortex, pith, and ground
tissue function primarily for
storage.
Herbaceous stem tissue
functions
 Structure of an herbaceous
eudicot stem and a monocot
stem
• Herbaceous eudicot stems have the vascular bundles
arranged in a circle in cross section and have a distinct cortex
and pith.
• Monocot stems have scattered vascular bundles and ground
tissue instead of a distinct cortex and pith.
 Difference between the
structures of stems and roots
• Stems have nodes and
internodes, and leaves
and buds
• Roots have root caps and
root hairs
• Internally, roots possess
an endodermis and
pericycle; stems lack a
pericycle and rarely
have an endodermis.
 Sapwood and hardwood
• Sapwood- younger,
lighter-colored wood
closest to the bark;
conducts water and
dissolved minerals
• Heartwood- older wood
in the center of the trunk,
brownish red; no longer
functions in conduction
 Forest are ecologically
important
• Photosynthesis by trees
removes large quantities of
carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere.
• At the same time, trees release
oxygen into the atmosphere.
• Tree roots hold vast tracts of soil
in place and thus reduce
erosion.
• Regulates the flow of the water
and help control floods.
• Provide essential wildlife
habitat
 Deforestation
• The temporary or
permanent clearance of
large expanses of forests
without sufficient
replanting for agriculture
or other uses.
 Vines
• Weak-stemmed plants that
depend on other plants for
support.
• They can grow extremely rapidly.
• Woody vines (lianas)- special
roots with adhesive pads that
stick to the bark of host tree.
• Herbaceous vines- tendrils
(modified leaves or stems that
wrap around supports).
• Twiners- stems grow spirally
around their host as they ascent
it.
 Various stems that are
specialized for asexual
reproduction
• Asexual reproduction- • Rhizome
a single individual may • Tuber
split, bud, or fragment,
giving rise to offspring • Bulb
that are genetically • Corm
similar to the parent. • Stolon
 Rhizome
•A horizontal, underground
stem that may or may not be
fleshy.
• Fleshiness indicates that the
stem is used for storing food
materials such as starch.
• Although rhizomes resemble
roots, they are really stems
(scale-like leaves, buds, nodes,
and internodes).
• e.g., irises, bamboos,
ginger, and many grasses
 Tubers
• Rhizomes produced greatly
thickened ends called tubers.
• Fleshy underground stems
enlarged for food storage.
• e.g., white potatoes and
elephant’s ear
• Eyes of a potato are actually
axillary buds (evidence as
an underground stem not a
storage root like sweet
potatoes or carrots)
 Bulbs
• Bulb- modified underground bud
in which fleshy storage leaves
are attached to a short stem.
• Rounded and is covered by
paper-like bulb scales, which are
modified leaves.
• Small daughter bulbs (bulblets)
• Attached to the parent bulb, but
when the parent bulb dies and
rots away, each daughter bulb
can become established as a
separate plant.
 Corm
• Short, erect underground stem
that superficially resembles a
bulb.
• Bulb- food is stored in
underground leaves
• Corm- storage organ is a
thickened underground stem
covered by papery scales
(modified leaves)
• e.g., crocus, gladiolus, and
cyclamen
 Stolons or
runners
• Horizontal aerial stems that
grow along the ground’s
surface and are characterized
by long internodes.
• Buds develop along the
stolon, each bud gives rise
to a new plant that roots in
the ground.
• When stolon dies, the
daughter plants live
separately.
• e.g., strawberry plant
 Question:
• Someone gives you a plant structure that was found
growing in the soil and asks you to determine whether it
is a root or an underground stem. How would you do
this without a microscope? With a microscope?
 Laboratory Exercise No. 08- Modified stems
Specialized function Specialization/Modification

1. Unusual method of support a. Tendrils (Tendril climbers)

b. Twining, flexible stems (twiners)
c. Hooks (scramblers)
d. Clinging roots at the nodes (root
climbers)
2. Photosynthesis a. Stems are green
b. Phylloclades- green, flattened, thin, leaf-
like structures in cacti
3. Storage a. Takes place in parenchyma cells of some
stems, as well as enlarged, thickened, or
fleshy subterranean stems.
4. Protection a. Stems are modified into thorns and
hooks.
5. Reproduction a. Buds and plantlets develop from
runners, stolons as well as
underground stems or tubers,
rhizomes, and corms.
• Examine the specimens and draw portions where the
modification are found.