TISSUES

TISSUES
• Tissues: Organised groups of cells which have
a common origin, similar structure, and the
same function.
• Three types of tissues:
 Meristematic tissues
 Permanent tissues
 Secretory tissues
 Meristematic tissues
• A group of immature and undifferentiated
cells, which remain in a state of continuous
division.
• Also called formative tissues.
• Cells are isodiametric and compactly
arranged.
• Protoplasm is dense with one or more nuclei.
Meristematic tissues

• Cells not store reserve food materials.

• Vacuoles are very small or absent.
• Cell wall is thin and made up of cellulose only.
• Cells are in the state of active division.
 Meristematic tissues

A. Classification of meristem based on the

position:
 Apical meristem
 Intercalary meristem
 Lateral meristem.
Meristematic tissues

B. Classification of meristem based on origin

and development:
 Promeristem: primordial meristem or embryonic
meristem. Embryonic in origin. Located at the tip
of the plumule and the radicle.
 Primary meristem: originated from promeristem.
Shoot give rise to a) protoderm b) procambium
and c) ground meristem.
 Secondary meristem: develop from primary
meristem. Vascular cambium formed later.
Meristematic tissues

C. Classification of meristem based on plane of

division:
 Rib meristem: cells divide only anticlinally.
 Plate meristem: divide both anticlinally and
periclinally.
 Mass meristem: divide all planes. Resulting
massive tissue development.
 Organisation of root apex
 In vascular plants, growth takes place by the activity of a
group of initial cells that originate from embryonic shoot
and root.
• Calyptra (Root cap): outer most protective layer of
root apex. Composed of short living parenchyma
cells. Secrete lubricant substances which helps to
penetrate into hard soil.
• Calyptrogen: it is a meristem located just inner to
the root cap. Group of actively dividing cells which
produce calyptra.
• Quiescent centre: central cap like or hemispherical
region of inactive cells present in between
calyptrogen and the active meristematic region of
the root apex. It consist of a group of slowly
dividing cells surrounded by actively dividing cells.
Serves as a reservoir of cells for repair and
regeneration.
 Histogen theory
• Hanstien (1870) proposed this
theory.
• Apical root meristem consist of
varying number of meristematic
zones or layers, called histogens.
• Inner group (plerome): central
vascular cylinder and pith.
• Middle group (periblem): cortex
• Distal group (dermatogen):
epidermis and root cap.
 Korper- Kappe theory
• Proposed by Schuepp (1917).
• Root apex divides on two planes
• First transverse division and
second longitudinal division.
• Resembling letter ‘T’.
• Similar to tunica corpus theory of
shoot apex.
• Korper (body), Kappe (Cap).
Organization of shoot apex
• Apical meristem present at
the tips of stems.
• Homogenous mass of
meristematic cells.
• Shoot apex is not protected
with any cap.
• But it is covered with young
leaves and bud scales.
 Apical cell theory
• Proposed by Nageli (1858)
• Apical shoot meristem consist of a single
apical cell and the growth and the
development of the entire plant body result
from its activity.
• Not applicable to higher plants.
• In higher plants, a cells which constitutes
meristem.
 Tunica- corpus theory
• Proposed by Schmidt (1924)
• Shoot apex consist of two
zones-
 Outer tunica
 Inner corpus
• Tunica cells divides anticlinally
(number of cell increases)
• Corpus cells divide both
anticlinally and periclinally.
 Histogen theory for shoot apex
• Proposed by Hanstein (1870)
• Three layers:
 Dermatogen
 Periblem
 Plerome
 Simple tissues
• Parenchyma
 Prosenchyma
 Aerenchyma
 Chlorenchyma
 Storage parenchyma
• Collenchyma
 Lamellar/ plate-like
collenchyma
 Angular collenchyma
 Lacunate collenchyma
• Sclerenchyma
 Fibres
 Sclereids
 Simple permanent tissue
• A simple tissue is made up of one type of cells
that form a homogeneous or uniform mass.
Simple plant tissues include parenchyma,
collenchyma and sclerenchyma
 Parenchyma
• Cells are isodiametric i.e. equally
expanded on all sides
• They may be oval, round, polygonal
or elongated
• Nucleus is present and hence living
• The cell walls are thin and made of
cellulose
• Cytoplasm is dense with a single
large vacuole
• Intercellular spaces may be present
• May contain chlorophyll
Parenchyma which contain
chlorophyll are called chlorenchyma
• There are some special types of parenchyma
tissues :
• Prosenchyma : thick walled cells for mechanical
support, protection and conduction
• Storage parenchyma : The cells enlarge to store
nutrients & water.
• Aerenchyma : Air cavities are present in the
parenchyma tissue to provide buoyancy to the
aquatic plants.
• Chlorenchyma : These parenchyma cells have
presence of chlorophyll & hence can perform the
function of photosynthesis.
Parenchyma tissue is found generally in all parts of
the plant body. It forms the Ground tissue in
leaves, stem, roots & fruits etc.
 Types of Parenchyma

Aerenchyma Chlorenchyma
 Occurrence

• Found in the cortex of

root, ground tissue in
stems and mesophyll of
leaves.
 Function
• Store and assimilate food
• Store water in succulent plants
• Air storage, buoyancy and gas exchange in water
plants
• Give mechanical strength by maintaining
turgidity
• Prepare food if chlorophyll is present
• Store waste products like tannin, gum, crystals
and resins
 Collenchyma
• The cells are elongated and
are circular, oval or polygonal
in cross-section.
• Cell wall is unevenly thickened
with cellulose,pectin &
hemicellulose at the corners
• Nucleus is present and hence
the tissue is living
• Vacoules are small
 Occurrence

• Found below the

epidermis in dicot
stems
• Lamellar type- deposition of thickening
material takes place in tangential wall of cells,
thickened wall look likes parallel plates
• Angular chollenchyma- cell wall is thick in the
corners
• Lacunate collenchyma-thickening material is
deposited on the walls bordering the
intercellular spaces
 Function
• Provide mechanical support to the stem.
• Being extensible, these cells readily adapt
themselves to the rapid elongation of the
stem.
• Protects leaves from tearing
• Some chollenchyma possess photosynthetic
function
• Occasionally acts as a meristem ( e.g.
phellogen ) during sec thickening in dicots
 Sclerenchyma
Nature
• The cells are long, narrow, thick
and lignified, usually pointed at
both ends.
• The cell wall is evenly thickened
with lignin and sometimes is so
thick that the cell cavity or lumen
is absent.
• Nucleus is absent and hence the
tissue is made up of dead cells.
• They have simple often, oblique
pits in the walls.
• The middle lamella i.e. the wall
between adjacent cells is
conspicuous.
 Occurence
Monocot stem

• It is present in stems, around

vascular plants , in the leaves,
hard covering of seeds&nuts

Leaf
 Function

• Gives mechanical
support to the plant by
giving rigidity,
flexibility and elasticity
to the plant body.
 Fibres Sclerids

Cells that are shorter and irregular in

The sclerenchyma cells are usually shape. Such cells are commonly
elongated, with tapering ends. Such
described as sclereids or stone cells.
cells are commonly described as
sclerenchyma fibres
 Fibres
• Occur in cortex, pericycle, xylem and phloem
• 3 types:
 Surface fibres- seen in fruit wall and seed coat
 Wood fibres- seen associated with xylem
 Bast fibres-seen associated with cortex, pericycle and
phloem
Functions –provide mechanical strength
& surface fibres present in fruits and seeds helps in
their dispersal
 Sclerids
• Occurrence : Most common in fruits
and seeds
•
• A) Structure
• Cells are short, isodiametric,
spherical, oval, t shaped or
cylindrical in shape.
• Usually have thick lignified
secondary cell wall.
• Occur single or in loose groups.
 Types
• Brachysclereids ( stone cells)-found in pulp of fruits
• Macrosclereids-rod like cells seen in bark and seed
coat of leguminous plants & also in xerophytes
• Osteoscleroids –bone like sclereids found in seed
coat and fruit wall
• Astrosclereids-star shaped, found in intercellular
spaces of leaves and stems of xerophytes and
gymnosperms
• Trichosclereids-slender& hair like
Functions:
•Protects the plant from stress and strains
from environment
•Provide mechanical strength and rigidity
•Provide grittiness to the pulp of fruits
•Sclereids of some nuts form a hard
protective shell
 COMPLEX PERMANENT TISSUES
• These are made of more than one type of
cells which combine together to work as a
unit.
• They transport water and food material to
various parts of the plant body
• They are of two types- xylem and phloem

.
Vascular tissues
 XYLEM
This complex tissue helps in the transport of
water and soluble mineral nutrients from the
roots to all the parts of the plant body. It also
helps in replacing the water lost during
transpiration and photosynthesis.
Xylem can be divided in to 2 based on the origin

• Primary xylem- develops from procambium

• Secondary xylem-develops from vascular cambium
 Components of xylem:

• Tracheids
• Vessels
• Xylem parenchyma-
living
• Xylem fibres
 Tracheids

• Elongated and tube like dead cells

• Walls are thick, hard and lignified
• Large lumen
• End walls are provided with bordered pits
• They are arranged end to end in longitudinal
rows
• In gymnosperms ( except Gnetales) and
some angiosperms, tracheids are the
conducting cells
•They are devoid of protoplasm at maturity

• Exhibit different patterns of thickenings

 Annular( ring like)
 Spiral ( helical)
 Scalariform (ladder like)
 Reticulate (network)
 Pitted
 Functions

• Upward conduction of water and dissolved minerals

• Provide mechanical support
 Vessels (tracheae)
• Long and cylindrical conducting tubes
• Cells appear circular in cross section
• Vessels may reach up to 5-6 m in height eg: Eucalyptus
• Made of longitudinal rows of elongated cells called
vessel members
• End wall between two successive vessel members is
called perforation plate
 Perforation plate
• Plate like and porous end wall between adjacent
vessel members in a xylem vessel
• May be simple or multiple
• Simple- end wall gets almost completely dissolved,
leaving a large single opening (advanced feature)
• Multiple-several small openings (primitive)
• Part of the perforation plate in between the
openings is called perforation rim
• Xylem vessels differ from tracheids in having
perforation plates
 Distribution

• Common among angiosperms

• Gymnosperms-non porous wood due to
absence of vessels
• Angiosperms-porous
 Functions
• Chief conducting elements of vascular plants
• Provides mechanical support
 Xylem fibres

• Sclerenchyma fibres -seen in association with xylem

• Also called wood fibres
 Xylem parenchyma
• Parenchyma present in primary as well as sec
xylem
• In the sec xylem of angiosperms , parenchyma
cells are radially arranged forming the medullary
rays or radial parenchyma
• Helps the radial conduction of water and solutes
• Parenchyma present in se xylem is of 2 types:
 Wood parenchyma
 Ray parenchyma
 Protoxylem & metaxylem
• 2 types of primary xylem
• Protoxylem-1 st formed xylem, smaller in
size,has few tracheary elements, more
parenchyma
• Metaxylem – latter formed
 Xylem arrangement
• 3 kinds:
• Endarch- xylem maturation is centrifugal (stems)
• Exarch -xylem maturation is centripetal (roots)
• Mesarch- protoxylem is surrounded by metaxylem
(ferns & cycads)
 Functions of xylem

• Conduct water & solutes from roots to leaves

• Stores water,starch and fat
• Serves as supporting mechanical tissue
• Ray parenchyma helps in radial conduction of water
& solutes