Meristematic Tissue

(Embryonic-can develop into different cells)

 Meristematic Tissue (growth)
Type Structure Function
Apical •At root tip & buds of shoots •Unspecialized plant tissue
Meristem •Found in herbaceous plants, •From which all primary tissues
young shoots or youngest parts (dermal, vascular, ground) are
of woody plant derived
•Responsible for primary
growth (in length)
Lateral •2 types: vascular cambium •Responsible for secondary
Meristem (produce vascular tissue and growth (in
ground tissue)& cork cambium width/diameter/girth)
(produce cork) •Adds strength to plant
•Cylinders of cells extending structure
along length of roots and shoots •Accounts for formation of
•Never in leaves woody rings in tree trunks
•In mature parts of woody plants
(e.g. base of tree branch)
Vascular Cambium in the vascular bundle
(between xylem and phloem)
Vascular Cambium cells divide and form secondary xylem towards
the inside & secondary phloem towards the outside. Seasonal
climates produces growth rings because cells grow faster and are

larger in the spring than later in the growing season.

Dermal, Vascular, and Ground
Tissues
Dicot Root Cross-section
 Dermal Tissue (protective)
Type Structure Function
Epidermi •Flat rectangular cells •Waterproofing (cuticle)
•Layer is 1 cell thick •protection
s
•Outer layer •Prevent from infection
•Surface covered with waxy layer
(cutin/cuticle)
•In leaves and herbaceous
roots/stems

Cork •Dead and hollow cells •Waterproofs roots and

•Covers surface of roots and stems
stems
•Replaces epidermis during
secondary growth
•In roots/stems of woody plants
Vascular Tissue
 Vascular Tissue (conductive)
Xylem
Structure Function
•2 types: vessel elements (only in •Transport of water and
angiosperm) and tracheids dissolved minerals from
•Long thin cylindrical cells root to leaves
•Dead and hollow
•Perforated side and end walls
•End-to-end arrangement of cells

•Why dead cells? The cells need to be hollow to

facilitate water flow, cytoplasm dies and the
cell has empty space, also the plant saves
energy to maintain them.
 Phloem Structure and Function
Long cylindrical cells •Transport manufactured
•Living, contains cytoplasm, food from leaves to roots for
no nucleus, storage and other parts for
•Perforated end (cytoplasm use
connected)
•Companion cell adjacent to •Transport hormones
phloem, responsible for
control activity in phloem •Require energy from
cellular respiration
 Ground Tissue (Fundamental)

Type Structure Function

Cortex Root and stem Storage of starch

(root), structural
support (stem)
Pith Only in stem Storage of water
(stem)

Mesophyll Leaf:palisade & Varies depending on

spongy mesophyll cell type
cells Photosynthesis
Ground Tissue – cortex (root & stem) and
pith (in stem)
Roots – Utah Canyons
Roots – Hawaii
 Root Composition
• 3 main roles of roots:
-anchor plant to ground
-absorb water and nutrients
from soil
-starch storage

• 3 types of tissues that

make up the root from
outer layer to the core:

-epidermis (dermal tissue)

-cortex (ground tissue)
-Vascular tissue
(xylem/phloem)
 Root
• Function of the root hairs:
- absorption of water and minerals
many hairs increase the surface area

• Cells in the epidermis cannot perform photosynthesis as

they do not possess chloroplasts
• Instead, epidermal cells undergo cellular respiration to
obtain energy The GLUCOSE comes from the starch in
the cortex of the root
• C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy
 4 Zones of the Root
1. Zone of maturation: cells
differentiate into different
types of cells.
2. Zone of elongation: allows
the root to get deeper within
the soil

3. Zone of Cell Division

(Meristematic region): rapid
mitosis of undifferentiated
meristematic cells.

4. Root cap: protects the

meristematic region.
Root
• Storage of starch in
-the cortex (ground
tissue, under
epidermis)
-the vacuole of each cell
(cell organelle)
• Vascular tissues are
clustered in the centre
of the roots
Root Types
Advantages of the Two Types of
Root System
• Fibrous root:
1) larger surface area for
absorption
2) Holds topsoil in place

• Tap root:
1) Firm anchor
2) food storage
3) Locate water source far
below ground
Ex) carrots, beets
 Roots
• Adventitious roots (monocot): emerge from tissues
other than root (stem & leaf)

• Endodermis (= innermost layer of the cortex)

-surrounds the vascular tissue
-structure: thin continuous ring of cells

-function: filters materials entering vascular tissue (which

will be transported to the rest of plant) with selectively
permeable membrane (selects only desired molecules)
-textbook figure 14.36 p.544
The STEM
Stem - Logging
Stem - Hawaii
Stem - Grafting
Stem Structure:
 Stem Composition
• Epidermis:
-protective layer
-Contains chloroplasts, cuticle, stomata
-Allows for photosynthesis to take place

• Cortex:
-Layer of tissue surrounding the pith.
-Rigid tissue, Structural support
-Also stores water and some nutrients
• Pith:
-Found in the center of the stem
- Contains air spaces (spongy tissue)
- Stores water and some nutrients.
• Vascular tissue
-xylem and phloem
 Stem Composition
• 2 main roles of stems:
1) structural support
2) Water and nutrient transport

• An axillary bud: bud that has a potential to form a new stem 

• A terminal bud (apical bud): bud located at the tip of a plant stem
(dominant in a young shoot),

• Apical dominance: terminal buds inhibit growth of axillary buds

plant concentrates on growing taller for more light exposure

• Ex) when gardeners prune trees, they remove terminal buds which
remove inhibition on axillary bud  axillary buds break dormancy
and grow into new branches
Stem
 Modified stems
stolons (strawberries) rhizome (ginger)

tuber (potato) bulb (onion)

cactus -vertical stem (stores water)
 Stem- Stolon
• Surface of ground
• Horizontal growth
• Buds can develop into
stems of new plants
• Ex) strawberry
 Stem - Rhizome
• Underground
• Horizontal growth
• Buds can develop into
stems
• Ex) ginger
• Why aren’t these roots?
 main function of roots
is absorption and roots do
not have buds
 Stem-tuber
• Swollen ends of
rhizomes
• For food storage
• Buds can grow into
new shoots above
ground
• Ex) potato
 Stem- bulb
• Underground
• Small stem
• Has paper-like cover
• Surrounded by layers
of modified leaves
• Ex) onion, tulip
 The Leaf

• The main role of the leaf : photosynthesis

( to convert solar energy into chemical energy)

• Parts of the Leaf:

-Epidermis
-Palisade layer (mesophyll)
-Spongy layer (mesophyll)
- Vascular Tissue
- Stoma and guard cells
Diagram
Zea Mays (Maize Corns)
 Cuticle
• Function: protection, prevent water loss
• Structure: waxy coating

• * Epidermal cells and cuticle are

transparent to allow light to go through
Dicot Leaf
Monocot Leaf (Zea)
Leaf
 Palisade Cells
• Function: photosynthesis
• Structure: long, thin cells packed up
• How is its structure related to its function?
-top end of cell is exposed to light.
-bottom end is exposed to the gases(CO2)
in the spongy layer.
• pack cells into upper surface of leaf
maximizes collection of light
 Spongy layer
• Contain mesophyll cells for photosynthesis
• Cells are not packed
• Has air space (contains CO2, O2, water
vapour)
 Stoma (in lower epidermis)
• from the Greek word “mouth”.
• Structure: pore-like openings in the plant’s
epidermis.
• Function: to permit gas exchange between the
leaf’s interior and external environment.
• The larger the opening, the faster the gas
exchange
• opening is controlled by two guard cells.
Leaves - Stomata
 Guard Cells
• Structure: paired, thick inner wall, has
microfibrils
• Function: controls the size of the stomata,
the rate of gas exchange
 How Guard Cells Work
• To open:
• Water flows into the guard
cells, pushing out on the
cell membrane rings
prevent increase of cell in
diameter  cell increases
in length  but outer wall
is more flexible and
bulges outwards  inner
wall is pulled and stoma
opens
 Guard Cells
• To Close:
• Water flows out guard cells return to the
resting position  inner walls relieved
stoma closes

• http://www.bcb.uwc.ac.za/ecotree/leaves/s
tomata.htm
 Vascular Tissue
Add row to your table
• The VEINS – made up of xylem and phloem
which are bundled together in thin strands.
• Think back to the veins in a dicot and monocot
flower. Which veins are parallel and which are
net-like?
• They allow the movement of water and nutrients
Movement of Water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1PqUB7Tu
3Y
Practice leaf(ing)
Practice Questions
Leaf – Cross section
Roots – Mangrove