Plant Anatomy

• Tissues
• Stems
• Leaves
• Roots
Plant Anatomy

•Tissues
•Stems
• Leaves
• Roots
Plant Anatomy

•Tissues
• Simple
• Complex
•Stems
• Leaves
• Roots
Tissues:are groups of cells related in structure and
function

• Simple -one type of cell

Tissues
• Complex -two or more types of cells

Organs
• combination of tissues
• perform a major function
• Stems, Leaves, Roots, Reproductive
Tissues
Simple – epidermal, parenchyma
Complex – vascular bundle, meristem

Organ – Leaf, root, ovary, …

Plant Anatomy

•Tissues
• Simple
• Stems
• Leaves
• Roots
 Simple tissue

• Epidermal cells
Simple tissue

• Epidermal cells

• These cells make up the majority

of the epidermis

• Outermost layer of cells on a

plant (“skin”)
Epidermal

• Provide an initial barrier to

moisture loss and pathogen
attack

• Produce a wax cuticle barrier or

varying thickness
Simple tissue
Celery stem cross section

Parenchyma cells
• Perform various functions
• Starch storage is a main
function
• Also photosynthesis,
secretion and short distance
transport
Plant Anatomy

•Tissues
• Simple
• Complex
• Stems
• Leaves
• Roots
Vascular Tissues are complex tissues
-composed of xylem and phloem

• Xylem transports water &

nutrients

• Phloem transports sugars,

amino acids & hormones
 Xylem

• Bring water up from roots and deliver

to entire plant through stem (connected
to everything)

• Flow of water is generally one way

BOTTOM to TOP

• Xylem are dead when mature

• They form continuous empty tubes –

like plumbing in a home

Flow of water
 Xylem

• Xylem grow as living elongated cells

• Once mature they die, and their

contents are removed

• Leaving a continuous column for water

Flow of water
 Water evaporates
Xylem from leaf

Flow of water through a plant is critical

Evaporation of water from top of

plant/tree creates negative pressure
throughout

LOTS OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE!

Transpirational pull

Water enters roots

 Xylem
LOTS OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE!
Rings in xylem are to
prevent collapsing
 Xylem

LOTS OF NEGATIVE PRESSURE!

-30 bar = - 435psi

Typical car tire is 35psi

Transpiration
• The loss of water from the plant
through the stomata

• The “transpirational pull” is

responsible for moving water
and nutrients through the plant
 Actual Water Use
• Less than 1% of water used for
photosynthesis
• Most of the water is used in
transportation
• Moves from the roots to the leaves
and evaporates from the leaves
• It takes 1,432 litres of water to
produce ONE kg of rice!

Yup, they grow rice in Texas

The USA produces 20 billion
lbs/year

7,000pounds/acre!
Complex Tissues:
Xylem transports water and nutrients

View from top View from side

 Complex Tissues: Phloem

• Primarily for transporting sugars

around the plant

• Sugars are transported to areas

of need (growth)

• Areas of growth and cell division

• Meristems
• Flowers
• Fruits
• Storage organs
Complex Tissues: Phloem

P P
P P
P
P-phloem
X X
X X-xylem

P P

View from top View from side

Complex Tissues: Phloem

• Always living cells (unlike xylem)

• Connected to all areas of the plant

• Sugar is loaded into phloem from

leaves (source)

• Sugar is transported to areas of

growth (sink)
• Meristems
• Flowers
• Fruits
• Storage organs View from side
Complex Tissues: Vascular bundles

Phloem and xylem are

always beside each
other in a “bundle”

Fundamental for flow of

sap

Phloem Xylem
Complex Tissues: Vascular bundles

Phloem and xylem are always beside each other

in a “bundle”

Fundamental for flow of sap

Flow of sap: Translocation

• Sugars are actively loaded into

phloem at source (leaf)

• Osmotic potential increases near

leaf

• Water enters phloem from nearby

xylem and increases volume of
sap (high turgor pressure)

• Sap is squeezed along by increase

in volume (turgor pressure)
Flow of sap: Translocation
• Sap is squeezed along by increase
in volume

• Sap can flow in all directions

• Where there is a source,

sugars are being loaded

• Where there is a sink,

sugars are being unloaded

• LOW osmotic potential where

unloading sugars

• Sap flows towards areas of low

osmotic potential bringing
sugars to areas where it is
needed (low turgor pressure)
Flow of sap: Translocation
• Think of a highway during heavy
traffic (cars=sugar)

• Where cars enter there is high traffic

pressure and cars are pushed away

• Where cars exit there is reduced

traffic pressure and another car takes
its place allowing flow in that
direction (in this case both ways)
Flow of sap: Translocation
• Think of a highway during heavy
traffic (cars=sugar)

• Where cars enter there is high traffic

pressure and cars are pushed away

• Where cars exit there is reduced

traffic pressure and another car takes
its place allowing flow in that
direction (in this case both ways)
Flow of sap: Translocation
• Think of a highway during heavy
traffic (cars=sugar)

• Sugars enters phloem at leaves

• Water flows into phloem from xylem at
source (leaves)

• Sugars leave phloem at sinks (eg; fruit)

• Loss of sugars reduces osmotic
pressure induced flow near sink
• Water flows back into xylem at sink
Insects attack Phloem
• Aphids & Mealy Bugs
• Ants “farm” aphids and mealy bugs for sugary sap “honeydew”
Transport Review
• Transpiration Youtube (watch this!)
• Capillary action
• Translocation Osmosis
• Water moves from a
less negative water
tension to a more
negative water tension
Vascular Tissues Review

• Vascular plants - transport water, nutrients, sugars

• Non-Vascular plants – no transport limits size

• Lower Vascular – transport, but no seeds

• Higher Vascular – transport and seeds
Other Tissues

• Dermal
• Secretory
• Meristem
Dermal Tissues

• Covers the organs of the plant

• Epidermis (E)
• “skin” of a plant
• Protects the plant from
environmental factors – insects,
diseases, water loss
• Vital to survival
Secretory and Ground
Tissues

General functions:
• Support plant
• store food (starch)
• wound healing (callus)

Specialized functions
• Nectaries (flower nectar)
• Resin ducts (wound healing)
• Digestive glands
(insectivorous plants)
Secretory and Ground
Tissues

• Support plant, store food, wound

healing
• Specialized functions
• Nectaries (flower nectar)
• Resin ducts (wound healing)
• Digestive glands (insectivorous plants)
Secretory Tissues

Secretory Trichome of African Violet Nectaries on Canola

Secretory Tissues

Secretory trichomes of stinging

nettle

Trichomes release chemicals that can

deter animal/insect damage

Trichomes can release

volatile chemicals that alert
neighbouring plants to a threat
 Meristems; Area of rapidly dividing cells (Mitosis)

• Primary – lengthen plant: Apical meristem – tip of root or stem)

• Secondary – widen plant: Lateral meristem (Vascular Cambium)

Meristem

• Apical meristem
• Plant grows taller
• leaf primordia
• axillary bud
 Apical Meristem (Primary)
• At growing tips – therefore produce primary tissues
-first phloem, xylem, etc… PLANT GETS TALLER

Lateral Meristems (Secondary)

• Existing tissues grow and divide to increase in size
-PLANT GETS WIDER
-Secondary tissues, eg; vascular cambium, wood, bark
 Lateral Meristem in stem

• Lateral meristem widen

the plant
• Arrows show developing
Vascular Cambium
Stem Vascular Cambium
Phloem

Cambium

Xylem

X
Stem Vascular Cambium
OUTSIDE

Phloem

Cambium

Xylem

INSIDE
Stem Vascular Cambium
OUTSIDE

Collectively referred to
as a vascular bundle

INSIDE
Monocots vs Dicots Stems