The plant cell

Anatomy of a single plant cell

Note: “protoplast” =
everything inside the
cell wall.
 Plant cell walls

Protects cell, maintains shape, prevents excess water uptake

The plasma membrane
 Plasma membrane
• Controls passage of materials into
and out of cell
• Many compounds cannot pass
directly thorugh the membrane,
instead they are transported through
specific carrier proteins embedded in
the membrane
The cytoskeleton
Microfilaments (actin filaments) are important for cytoplasmic streaming—
distribution of materials within a cell
Plasmodesmata
The nucleus and its envelope; also, endoplasmic reticulum (“ER”) and ribosomes
From genes (in the nucleus) to proteins (in the cytoplasm)
The mitochondrion

Carry out respiration

-sugar + oxygen in
-carbon dioxide + energy out
The chloroplast, site of photosynthesis
The plant cell vacuole 
 Central vacuoles
• Are selective in what passes through
tonoplast
• May be used as disposal or storage
sites
• Can enlarge by gaining water,
resulting in cell growth
 Ribosomes

Note: a “polysome” is a group of ribosomes

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
 Endoplasmic reticulum
• Smooth ER
– No ribosomes
– Involved in lipid synthesis, carbohydrate
metabolism, detoxification
• Rough ER
– Has ribosomes
– Involved in protein synthesis
• Primarily proteins destined for export from the cell
The Golgi apparatus
 An introduction to plant tissues
• Tissue: an integrated group of cells with a
common function, structure, or both
 Three tissue systems of plants
• Dermal tissue - outer protective covering
– Epidermis/periderm analogous to skin
– Cuticle - waxy coating to preserve water
• Vascular tissue - transport system
– Xylem: carries water and nutrients from roots to
leaves
– Phloem: transport organic nutrients (sugar)
• Ground tissue - “everything else”
– Pith (internal to vascular), Cortex
– Function in storage, photosynthesis, & support
Differentiated cells
contribute to 3 tissue
systems
Dermal tissue (epidermis)

Generally a single cell

layer that covers the plant

Absorption in root system

Water retention in shoot

system, aided by waxy
cuticle
 guard cell
stomate

Guard Cells regulate water loss through opening and closing of stomata
Differentiated cells
contribute to 3 tissue
systems
Vascular tissue

Xylem – transports water

and dissolved minerals
Phloem – transports
sugars dissolved in water
Differentiated cells
contribute to 3 tissue
systems
Vascular tissue

Xylem

Cells are dead

at functional
maturity
Differentiated cells
contribute to 3 tissue
systems
Vascular tissue

Phloem

Cells are alive

at functional
maturity
Differentiated cells
contribute to 3 tissue
systems
Ground tissue

All non-epidermal, non-

vascular tissue
Three principal cell types:
Parenchyma
Collenchyma
Sclerenchyma
The three major categories of plant cells
Differentiated cells
contribute to 3 tissue
systems
Ground tissue

Parenchyma
• Thin-walled, live cells
• Perform most metabolic
functions of plant
– photosynthesis
– food storage
– synthesis and secretion
Differentiated cells
contribute to 3 tissue
systems
Ground tissue

Collenchyma
• Living at maturity
• No secondary cell walls or
lignin
• Provide flexible support to
growing parts of plant
Differentiated cells
contribute to 3 tissue
systems
Ground tissue

Sclerenchyma
• Very thick walls, hardened
with lignin
• Dead at maturity
• Give strength and support to
fully grown parts of the plant
• Fibers occur in groups
• Sclereids impart hardness to
nutshells and the gritty
texture to pears