Plant Tissues and the

Multicellular Plant Body

Chapter 5
 The Plant Body 1

• Root system
• generally underground
• obtains water and dissolved minerals for plant
• usually anchors the plant firmly in place
 The Plant Body 2
• Shoot system
• generally aerial
• obtains sunlight and carbon dioxide for plant

• Shoot system consists of

• a vertical stem bearing leaves (main organs of
photosynthesis)
• flowers and fruits (reproductive structures)
 The Plant Body 3
• Buds (undeveloped embryonic shoots)
develop on stems

• Although separate organs (roots, stems,

and leaves) exist in the plant, many
tissues are integrated throughout the
plant body, providing continuity from organ
to organ
 Developing fruit

Nodes (areas of leaf and

axillary bud attachment)

Flower
Shoot
Axillary bud
system
Internode (area between
adjacent nodes)
Petiole Blade
Stem Leaf

Rosette of
basal leaves

Root Taproot
system
Branch roots Stepped Art

Fig. 5-1, p. 92
 KEY TERMS
• GROUND TISSUE SYSTEM
• All tissues of the plant body other than
vascular tissues and dermal tissues
• VASCULAR TISSUE SYSTEM
• Tissue system that conducts materials
throughout the plant body
• DERMAL TISSUE SYSTEM
• Tissue system that provides an outer covering
for the plant body
 Dermal tissue system
Vascular tissue system
Ground tissue system
(a) Leaf

Dermal tissue system

Vascular tissue system
Ground tissue system

(b) Stem

Dermal tissue system

Vascular tissue system
Ground tissue system
(c) Root

Fig. 5-2, p. 94
 KEY TERMS
• PARENCHYMA CELL
• Relatively unspecialized plant cell; thin walled,
may contain chlorophyll, loosely packed
• COLLENCHYMA CELL
• Living plant cell with moderately but unevenly
thickened primary walls
• SCLERENCHYMA CELL
• Plant cell with extremely thick walls; provides
strength and support to plant body
 Ground Tissue System 1

• Parenchyma tissue
• Composed of living parenchyma cells with
thin primary cell walls
• Functions include photosynthesis, storage,
and secretion
 Parenchyma Cells

Vacuole
Nucleus

Onion
(a) Parenchyma cells from an epidermal peel
of red onion (Allium cepa). The large vacuole
contains pigmented material and occupies
most of the cell. The nucleus and cytoplasmic
strands are positioned under and on top of
the vacuole, between it and the plasma
membrane.

Fig. 5-3a, p. 96
 Parenchyma Cells

Chloroplasts

Elodea (b) Some parenchyma cells contain chloroplasts,

and their primary function is photosynthesis.
These parenchyma cells are from a waterweed
(Elodea) leaf.

Fig. 5-3b, p. 96
 Parenchyma Cells

Starch
grains

Buttercup
(c) Parenchyma cells often function in storage.
These parenchyma cells are from a buttercup
(Ranunculus) root. Note the starch grains filling
the cells.

Fig. 5-3c, p. 96
 Ground Tissue System 2

• Collenchyma tissue
• Composed of collenchyma cells with
unevenly thickened primary cell walls
• Provides flexible structural support
 Collenchyma Cells
Thick cell walls at corners
of 4 cells

Cell's
interior

Water lily

Fig. 5-4, p. 97
 Ground Tissue System 3

• Sclerenchyma tissue
• Composed of sclerenchyma cells with both
primary and secondary cell walls
• Sclerenchyma cells are often dead at
maturity, but provide structural support
 Sclerenchyma Cells

Cherry Bamboo

Fiber cells

Parenchyma
cell

(a) Sclereids from a cherry (Prunus avium) stone. The (b) Long, tapering fibers and shorter parenchyma
cell walls are extremely thick and hard, providing cells from a bamboo (Bambusa) stem. The stem
structural support. was treated with acid to separate the cells.
Fig. 5-5, p. 97
 Vascular Tissue System

• Conducts materials throughout the plant

body and provides strength and support
• Xylem
• Phloem
 KEY TERMS
• XYLEM
• A complex vascular tissue that conducts
water and dissolved minerals throughout the
plant body

• Actual conducting cells of xylem are

tracheids and vessel elements
 Pits

Xylem
Tracheids

White pine tree

(a) Tracheids from a white pine (Pinus strobus) stem in longitudinal section (that is, cut
lengthwise). These cells, which occur in clumps, transport water and dissolved minerals.
Water passes readily from tracheid to tracheid through pits, thin places in the cell wall.
Fig. 5-6a, p. 98
 Vessel elements

Xylem

Pumpkin plant

(b) Vessel elements from a pumpkin (Cucurbita mixta) stem in longitudinal section. The
blue-stained regions are various patterns of the secondary walls in the vessel elements.
Perforation plates are not visible in this micrograph. Fig. 5-6b, p. 98
 Xylem

Adjacent
perforation
plates

Southern
magnolia

(c) The end walls of vessel elements, called perforation plates, have large holes. Water
passes through the perforation plate from one vessel element to the next. Shown are
adjacent perforation plates from a southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) stem; in this
species, the perforation plates are at an angle in longitudinal section. Fig. 5-6c, p. 98
 Pit Pairs
Pits

Middle lamella
Primary
cell walls

Permeable
primary cell
Tracheid Simple wall pair
pit Impermeable
secondary
cell walls
Cell A Cell B

(a) A simple pit pair has an interruption in the secondary cell wall. The primary
cell wall in a simple pit pair is permeable to water. Fig. 5-7a, p. 101
Pit Pairs
Water
Pressure
closes pit

Water H2O

Cell A Cell B Cell A Cell B

(c) (Left ) When water pressure is equal between the two

cells (A and B), the bordered pit is open, and water flow is
unrestricted. (Right ) When the pressure is greater in cell A
than in cell B, the torus, a thickening in the primary cell
walls, blocks the opening, restricting water movement
through the pit pair. Fig. 5-7c, p. 101
 KEY TERMS

• PHLOEM
• A complex vascular tissue that conducts food
(carbohydrate) throughout the plant body

• Conducting cells of phloem are sieve-tube

elements assisted by companion cells
 Phloem
Sieve-
tube
elements
Cross
section Sieve
plate

Companion
Squash leaves
cell

(a) Phloem tissue from a squash (Cucurbita) petiole in cross section. Note the
sieve plates, the end walls of the sieve-tube elements. Most sieve-tube elements
appear empty because they were sectioned in the middle of the cells rather than
at the end walls. The smaller cells are companion cells.

Fig. 5-8a, p. 102

 Phloem Companion cell
Sieve-tube
element

Longitudinal
section

Squash leaves

Sieve plate

(b) Phloem tissue from a squash (Cucurbita) petiole in longitudinal section.

Fig. 5-8b, p. 102

 Dermal Tissue System

• Outer protective covering of the plant body

• Epidermis
• Periderm
 KEY TERMS

• EPIDERMIS
• Outermost tissue layer, usually one cell thick
• Covers the primary plant body (leaves, young
stems and roots)
 Epidermis

• Epidermis covering aerial parts secretes a

wax layer (cuticle) that reduces water loss

• Gas is exchanged between interior of shoot

system and surrounding atmosphere
through stomata
 Epidermis

Epidermal
cells

Guard cells

Stoma

Spiderwort

Fig. 5-9, p. 103

 KEY TERMS

• PERIDERM
• Outermost layer of cells covering a woody
stem or root (the outer bark that replaces
epidermis when it is destroyed during
secondary growth)
 Periderm

Exterior
environment

Geranium Remnants
of epidermis

Periderm
Cork cells
Cork
cambium
Cork
parenchyma
Cortex
(interior of stem)
Fig. 5-10, p. 103
 Growth in Plants

• Involves cell division, cell elongation, and

cell differentiation

• Plants grow only in specific areas

(meristems) composed of cells that do not
differentiate
 Growth in Animals

• Location of growth differs between plants

and animals

• When a young animal grows, all parts of

its body grow, although not necessarily at
the same rate
 KEY TERMS

• PRIMARY GROWTH
• An increase in stem and root length due to the
activity of apical meristems at the tips of
roots and at the buds of stems
 KEY TERMS

• APICAL MERISTEM
• An area of cell division at the tip of a stem or
root in a plant; produces primary tissues

• BUD
• A dormant embryonic shoot that eventually
develops into an apical meristem
Root Tip
Area of cell
maturation

Root hairs

Area of cell Protoderm

elongation
Ground meristem
Procambium

Area of cell division

Apical
meristem
Root cap

Fig. 5-11, p. 105

 Stem Tip
Older
leaf
Leaf
primordia
Apical
meristem
Older
leaf
Trichome
Bud
primordium

Coleus

Fig. 5-12, p. 106

 Immature leaf
Stem apical
meristem
Area of cell
division
Procambium

Protoderm Procambium Ground meristem

Area of cell
elongation

Epidermis

Area of cell
maturation

Cortex Procambium Pith Primary xylem Primary phloem Fig. 5-13, p. 106
 KEY TERMS
• SECONDARY GROWTH
• An increase in a plant’s stem and root girth
due to the activity of lateral meristems (the
vascular cambium and cork cambium)

• Woody plants have secondary growth

• In addition to primary growth
• Secondary growth is localized, typically as
long cylinders of active growth throughout
the lengths of older stems and roots
 KEY TERMS

• LATERAL MERISTEM
• An area of cell division on the
side of a vascular plant; the two
lateral meristems (vascular
cambium and cork cambium)
give rise to secondary tissues
 Outer bark (periderm)

Inner bark (secondary phloem)

Wood
Bark (secondary xylem)

Surface of vascular cambium

Fig. 5-14, p. 107