Professional Documents
Culture Documents
General Biology 2
General Biology 2
General Biology 2
Plant tissues are divided into two groups: Permanent Tissues and Meristematic Tissues.
Meristematic Tissues
These are composed of embryonic cells that are actively dividing.
These tissues are found at the growing tips of the stem and roots.
Apical Meristematic Cells are primarily responsible for the increase in length and
height of plants.
A. Apical Shoot Meristem- it is the zone of cell growth at the tip of the stem.
B. Apical Root Meristem- it is the zone of growth at the tip of the primary roots.
Plant Organs and their Function
Roots constitute the underground part of the plant. Also known as the “idden Half”.
Functions of Root:
a. Root serves as anchorage of plant to the soil.
b. Absorb water and minerals;
c. Conduct the absorb minerals and water to the stem;
d. Storage of food in the form of starch.
Conical root: this type of root tuber is conical in shape, i.e. widest at the
top and tapering steadily towards the bottom.
e.g. carrot
Fusiform root: this root is widest in the middle and tapers towards the top
and the bottom.
e.g. radish
Napiform root: the root has a top-like appearance. It is very broad at the top
and tapers suddenly like a tail at the bottom.
e.g. Turnips
Modified Roots
Storage Roots- In certain plants the roots, or part of the root system,is
enlarged in order to store large quantities of starch and other
carbohydrates.
Exampe: Carrot, Beet Roots, Sweet Potato
Contractile Roots- can contract and control the position of the plant in
relation to the plant surfacedepending on season. Contractile roots are
vertical, tapering and wrinkled looking.
Example: Succulent plants
Buttress roots are large roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted
tree. Typically, they are found in nutrientpoor rainforest soils and do
not penetrate to deeper layers.
Terminal bud-bud
located at the apex (tip)
of the stem
internode- area
between nodes
Functions of Stem
-Stems support leaves and branches.
-Stems transport water and solutes between roots and leaves.
-Stems in some plants are photosynthetic.
Types of Stem
Herbaceous stems- consist of soft, green and flexiblestem.
Woody stems- Hard woods and produce secondary growth.
Heartwood and Sapwood
In young trees and young parts of older trees, all of the wood in the stem is sapwood.
Sapwood is formed just under the bark by a thin layer of living cells known as the
cambium, which produces bark cells to the outside and wood cells to the inside. Tree
stems increase in girth during each year of growth because a new layer of wood cells is
added inside the cambium. When growth occurs, the cambium moves outward to
accommodate the new layers of wood forming inside. Sapwood – this newly formed,
outermost region of wood – contains a variety of cell types, most of which are living and
physiologically active. This sapwood is where water and dissolved minerals are
transported between the roots and the crown of the tree and, to a lesser extent, where
energy reserves are stored.
But as the tree gets older and its trunk increases in diameter, things change. No longer is
the entire cross-section of the trunk needed for conducting sap. This, combined with an
increased need for structural support, causes significant changes in the wood. The cells
nearest the center of the trunk die, but they remain mostly intact. As these older sapwood
cells age and die, they become heartwood. That is, they are altered to accommodate a
shift in function. As residues of the once-living cells and additional chemical compounds
from plant accumulate in the heartwood, those cells cease to transport water or store
energy reserves. These compounds (including resins, phenols, and terpenes) not only help
make heartwood more resistant to attack by insects and decay organisms but also tend to
give this inner portion of the stem a distinctive darker color.
Bark is refer to all tissue outside the wood. Bark is mostly dead tissue which is the
product of cork cambium. The outer most bark contains cork and dead phloem known as
rhytidome. The dead cork cells are lined with suberin, a fatty substance that makes them
highly impermeable to gases and water. Gas exchange between the inner tissues and bark
takes place through the lenticels.
Modified Stem
Bulbs - large buds with a small stem at the lower end surrounded
by numerous fleshy leaves, adventitious roots at base
Examples: onion, tulip, and lily
Photosynthetic stem- Cacti are stout fleshy stems that are modified for
food and water storage and photosynthesis.
Example: cactus
Thorns- hard, rigid extensions of plants with sharp ends.
Example: Honey locust (modified stem) and Black Locust (modified
leaf stipules)
Tendril- the axillary bud modifies to form a thin, wiry and highly
sensitive structure.
Example: grape tendril.