Plant Tissues

A collection of cells performing a specific function is called tissue. Plant tissues can be

grouped into plant tissue systems each performing specialized functions. A plant tissue
system is defined as a functional unit, connecting all organs of a plant. Plant tissue system
is also grouped into various tissues based on their functions. Let’s find out more.

Plant Tissues

As for all animals, your body is made of four types of tissue: epidermal, muscle,
nerve, and connective tissues. Plants, too, are built of tissues, but not surprisingly,
their very different lifestyles derive from different kinds of tissues. All three types of
plant cells are found in most plant tissues.

Three major types of plant tissues are dermal, ground, and vascular tissues.

Dermal Tissue

Dermal tissue covers the outside of a plant in a single layer of cells called

the epidermis. You can think of the epidermis as the plant’s skin. It mediates most of
the interactions between a plant and its environment. Epidermal cells secrete a waxy
substance called cuticle, which coats, waterproofs, and protects the above-ground
parts of plants. Cuticle helps prevent water loss, abrasions, infections, and damage
from toxins.

This tissue includes several types of specialized cells. Pavement cells, large,
irregularly shaped parenchymal cells which lack chloroplasts, make up the majority of
the epidermis. Within the epidermis, thousands of pairs of bean-shaped
schlerenchymal guard cells swell and shrink by osmosis to open and close stomata,
tiny pores which control the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases and the
release of water vapor. The lower surfaces of some leaves contain as many as 100,000
stomata per square centimeter.

Epidermis - the exchange of matter between the plant and the environment.

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a) the epidermis on above ground organs (leaves and stems) is involved with gas
exchange

b) the epidermis on below ground organs (roots) is involved with water and ion
uptake

[Figure 2]
The epidermis of Arabidopsis shows both pavement cells (A) and stomata made of
sclerenchymal guard cells (B), which control water loss and gas exchange.

Ground Tissue

Ground tissue makes up much of the interior of a plant and carries out basic
metabolic functions. Ground tissue in stems provides support and may store food or
water. Ground tissues in roots may also store food.

Ground tissues - metabolism, storage, and support activities

a) the ground tissue of the leaf (called mesophyll) uses the energy in sunlight to
synthesize sugars in a process known as photosynthesis

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b) the ground tissue of the stem (called pith and cortex) develops support cells to hold
the young plant upright

c) the ground tissue of the root (also called cortex) often stores energy- rich
carbohydrates

[Figure 3]
The three tissue types of plants.

Vascular Tissue

Vascular tissue runs through the ground tissue inside a plant. Your body was able to
grow from a single cell to perhaps 100 trillion cells because, 21 days after
fertilization, a tiny heart began to pump blood throughout your tiny self – and it hasn’t
stopped since. The blood it pumps carries water, oxygen and nutrients to each one of
your trillions of cells, and removes CO2 and other wastes. Of course plants don’t have

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hearts, but they do have vessels that transport water, minerals, and nutrients through
the plant. These vessels are the vascular tissue, and consist of xylem and phloem.
Xylem and phloem are packaged together in bundles, as shown in figure below.

Vascular tissues - the transport of water and dissolved substances inside the plant

a) the xylem carries water and dissolved ions from the roots to stems and leaves

b) the phloem carries dissolved sugars from the leaves to all other parts of the plant

[Figure 4]
Bundles of xylem and phloem run through the ground tissue inside this stalk of celery.
What function do these tissues serve?

Summary

 The three types of plant cells are found in each of the major types of plant tissues:
dermal, ground, and vascular tissues.
 Dermal tissue covers the outside of a plant in a single layer of cells called the
epidermis. It mediates most of the interactions between a plant and its
environment.
 Ground tissue makes up most of the interior of a plant. It carries out basic
metabolic functions and stores food and water.
 Vascular tissue runs through the ground tissue inside a plant. It consists of bundles
of xylem and phloem, which transport food, water and minerals throughout the
plant.

Practice

Use this resource to answer the questions that follow.

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 http://www.hippocampus.org/Biology → Non-Majors Biology: → Search: Plant
Tissues

1. What are the three distinct types of tissues found in plants?

2. What is the role of dermal tissue?

3. Describe the epidermis of a plant.

4. What is bark?

5. What is vascular tissue?

6. What are the two types of vascular tissue, and what are their roles?

Review

1. Compare and contrast dermal, ground, and vascular tissues of plants.

2. What is cuticle? What is its role?

3. What are guard cells and stomata?

4. An important concept in biology is that form follows function. In other words, the
structure of an organism, or part of an organism, depends on its function. Apply this
concept to plants, and explain why plants have different types of cells and tissues.

Watch the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN_vBFyu_-g

Types of Plant Tissues

Plant Tissues can be classified by following ways.

I. On the basis of the part of plant they are present.

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[Figure 5]
II. On the basis of kind of cells they contain

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[Figure 6]

2.1 Meristematic Plant Tissues

Difference between Meristematic and Permanent Tissues

Meristematic Tissue Permanent Tissue

1. Capable of cell division 1. Lost power of cell division

2. Undifferentiated Cells 2. Differentiated cells

3. Have not attained definite form and size 3. Have attained definite form and size

4. Dense and abundant cytoplasm 4. Thin layer of cytoplasm around vacuole (if living)

5. Always living 5. May be living or dead

2.2 Permanent Plant Tissues

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[Figure 7]
Simple Permanent Tissues

Parenchyma Tissue

1. They are living cells, polygonal, round or irregular in shape. The cells have thin
cell walls.

2. Have large intercellular spaces in between the cells.

3. Forms the basic ground tissue and stores food.

4. When the cells contain chlorophyll, they can carry photosynthesis and are called
chlorenchyma.

5. In aquatic plants they contain air cavities to help the plant to remain afloat, there
they are called aerenchyma.

6. In stems and roots they may store nutrients.

Collenchyma Tissue

1. They are living cells, round, oval and elongated in shape. The cells have cell walls
thickened unevenly at the corners.

2. Have little or no intercellular spaces as the corners of cell walls are thickened with
pectin.

3. Present below the epidermis in leaves and stems.

4. They give mechanical support to the plant.

5. Can carry photosynthesis if chlorophyll is present.

Sclerenchyma

1. They are dead cells, long and narrow cells, appear angular in cross section. The
cells have highly thick cell walls.

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2. Cells do not have intercellular spaces as the cell walls are thickened with lignin.
Lignin is like a strong cement that binds the cells together. Often there is no space and
cytoplasm left in the cells.

3. Present in the vascular bundles in xylem and phloem in stem, roots and in the veins
of leaves. Also present in the hard seed coat covering.

4. Provide strong mechanical support, rigidity and flexibility to the plant.

5. Cells are dead but are connected through the pits, pits are places where lignin is
absent.

Complex Permanent Tissues

Vascular Tissues

The vascular tissues are specialized to transport food, water and minerals. They
consist of long, narrow cells arranged end-to-end, forming tubes. There are two
different types of vascular tissues, called xylem and phloem. Both are shown
in figure below.

 Xylem is vascular tissue that transports water and dissolved minerals from roots to
stems and leaves. This type of tissue consists of dead cells that lack end walls
between adjacent cells. The side walls are thick and reinforced with lignin, which
makes them stiff and water proof.
 Phloem is vascular tissue that transports food (sugar dissolved in water) from
photosynthetic cells to other parts of the plant for growth or storage. This type of
tissue consists of living cells that are separated by end walls with tiny perforations,
or holes.

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[Figure 8]
Xylem and phloem are the two types of vascular tissues in vascular plants.

2.3 Protective Tissues - Epidermis and cork

Protective tissue covers the surface of leaves and the living cells of roots and stems.
Its cells are flattened with their top and bottom surfaces parallel. The upper and lower
epidermis of the leaf are examples of protective tissue.

Vocabulary

 Cuticle: Waxy, waterproof substance produced by epidermal cells of leaves,

shoots, and other above-ground parts of plants; prevents damage and loss of water
by evaporation.
 Dermal tissue: Type of plant tissue that covers the outside of a plant in a single
layer of cells called the epidermis.
 Epidermis: In animals, outer layer of skin that consists mainly of epithelial cells
and lacks nerve endings and blood vessels; in plants, outer layer of dermal tissue.
 Guard cells: Bean-shaped schlerenchymal cells in the epidermis; swell and shrink
by osmosis to open and close stomata. Stomata (singular stoma) are tiny

pores in the epidermis of a plant leaf that controls transpiration and gas exchange with
the air.

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