Plant Structures

Roots, Stems, and Leaves

Chapter 23

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Plants are as successful

if not more successful
than animals
Seed plants have three
main structures:

Roots
Stems
Leaves

Linked together by
various means

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Roots

Absorbs water and

nutrients
Anchor plant to the
ground
Hold soil in place and
prevent erosion
Protect from soil bacteria
Transport water and
nutrients
Provide upright support

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Stems

Support for the plant

body
Carries nutrients
throughout plant
Defense system to
protect against predators
and infection
Few millimeters to 100
meters

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Leaves

Main photosynthetic
systems
Suseptable to extreme
drying
Sight of oxygen/carbon
dioxide intake and
release

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Plant tissue
systems

Exist within the

root, stems, and
leaves
Dermal tissue
Vascular tissue
Ground tissue

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Dermal Tissue

Outer covering
Single layer of cells
Cuticle waxy coating

Roots have dermal tissue

Trichomes Spiny
projections on the leaf
Root hairs

Guard Cells

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Vascular Tissue

Transport System
Subsystems

Xylem
Phloem

Subsystems are used to carry fluids

throughout plant

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Xylem

Two types

Seed plants
Angiosperms

Tracheid long narrow

cells
Walls are connected to
neighboring cells
Will eventually die
Vessel Element wider
that trachieds

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Phloem

Sieve Tube Elements

Cells arranged end to end

Pump sugars and other foods

Companion Cells

Surround sieve tube elements

Support phloem cells

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Ground Tissue

Cells between dermal

and vascular tissue
Parenchyma

Collenchyma

Thin cell walls, large

vacuoules
Strong, flexible cell walls

Sclerenchyma

Extremely thick, rigid cell

walls

23-1 Specialized Tissues in Plants

Plant Growth

Meristems tissues
responsible for growth

Apical Meristem

Produce growth increased

length

Differentiation

Undifferentiated cells

Cells will assume roles in

the plant

Flower Development

Starts in the meristem

23-2 Roots

Types of Roots

Taproots

Found in dicots
Long, thick root
Hickory and oak trees

Fibrous roots

Found in monocots
No single root larger than any other
Many thin roots

23-2 Roots

Root Structure

Outside layer
Epidermis

Root hairs
Cortex

Central cylinder
vascular system
Root Cap cellular
production

Key role in
water/mineral transport

23-2 Roots

Root Functions

Anchor plant
Absorb water
Absorb nutrients

23-2 Roots

Plant Nutrient Uptake

Soil type determines

plant type

Plant requirements

Oxygen, CO2
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Postassium
Magnesium
Calcium
Trace elements

23-2 Roots

Active Transport in
Plants

Root hairs use ATP

Vascular Cylinder

Pump minerals from soil

Causes water molecules to
follow by osmosis

Casparian Strip water

retention

Root Pressure

Forces water up into the

plant

23-3 Stems

Stem Structure

Produce leaves,
branches, and flowers
Hold leaves up
Transport substance
between roots and leaves

Essential part of
transport system
Function in storage and
photosynthesis

23-3 Stems

Xylem and phloem major

tubule systems

Transport water and nutrients

Composed of three tissue

layers
Contain nodes attachment
for leaves
Internodes regions
between the nodes
Buds undeveloped tissue

23-3 Stems

Stem Types

Monocot vascular
bundles are scattered
throughout

Distinct epidermis

Dicot vascular tissue

arranged in a cylinder

Pith parenchyma cells

inside the ring

23-3 Stems

Stem Growth

Primary growth new

cells produced at the root
tips and shoots

Increases the length

Secondary growth
increase in stem width

Vascular cambium
produces tissue and
increases thickness
Cork cambium produces
outer covering of stems

23-3 Stems

Formation of Vascular
Cambium

Xylem and phloem

bundles present intially
Secondary growth
initiates production of a
thin layer
The vascular cambium
divides

Produces new xylem and

phloem

23-3 Stems

Formation of wood

Wood layers of exlem

Produced year after year
Results from the older xylem not conducting water heartwood
Becomes darker with age
Sapwood surrounds heartwood

23-3 Roots

Formation of Bark

All the tissues outside

the vascular cambium
Consists of outermost
layers of dead cork
Water proof

23-4 Leaves

Main sight of
photosynthesis
Consist of:

Blade thin flattened

section
Petiole stalk that
attaches stem to blade

Covered by epidermis
and cuticle

Create water proof

barrier

23-4 Leaves

Leaf Functions

Photosynthesis occurs
in the mesophyll

Palisade mesophyll
absorb light
Spongy mesophyll
beneath palisede level
Stomata pores in the
underside of the leaf
Guard Cells Surround
the stomata

23-4 Leaves

Transpiration

Loss of water through its leaves

Replaced by water drawn into the leaf

23-4 Leaves

Gas Exchange

Take in CO2 and release

O2
Can also do the opposite
How?
Gas exchange takes place
at the stomata

Not open all the time

Stomata is controlled by
water pressure in guard
cells

23-5 Transport in Plants

Water Transport

Active transport and root

pressure

Cause water to move from

soil to roots

Capillary action

Combined with active

transport and root
pressure, moves materials
throughout the plant

23-5 Transport in Plants

Capillary Transport

Capillary transport
results from both
cohesive and adhesive
forces
Water molecules
attracted to one another
Water is also attracted to
the xylem tubes in the
plant
Causes water to move
from roots to the stem
and upward

23-5 Transport in Plants

Transpiration

Evaporation is the major

moving force
As water is lost, osmotic
pressure moves water out
of vascular tissue
This pulls water up from
the stem to the leaves
Affected by heat,
humidity, and wind

23-5 Transport in Plants

Controlling
Transpiration

Open the stomata

increase water loss
Close the stomata
decrease water loss

23-5 Transport in Plants

Transpiration and
Wilting

Osmotic pressure
keeps plants semi-rigid
Wilting is a result of
high transpiration rates
Loss of water causes a
drop in osmotic pressure
Loss of rigidity
Conserves water

23-5 Transport in Plants

Nutrient Transport

Most nutrients are

pushed through plant
Nutrient movement takes
place in phloem

Source to Sink

Source any cell that

produces sugars
Sink any cell where
sugars are used
Pressure-flow
Hypothesis