PLANT TISSUE SPECIAL ADVANCED STUDY MATERIAL / QUESTION BANK

INTRODUCTION
 In unicellular organisms a single cell performs all the vital activities for
example, digestion, respiration, excretion etc.
 In case of Multicellular organisms specialized functions are performed by a
different groups of cells. As blood flows for transportation of O2, CO2, food hormones & waste
material, muscle cells are involved in movement etc.
 In plants vascular tissue conduct food & water from one plant to another par
to the plant Thus Multicellular organisms possess well-developed division of provide highest
possible efficiency or particular function.
 A tissue is defined as a group of cells with similar structure, organized to do a
common function.
 Term tissue was coined by Bichat.
 As plants are fixed or stationary, most of their tissues are of supportive type.
Animals move around in search of food, mate & shelter so they consume more energy as
compared to plants.
 Plants have some localized regions with special tissue but there is no such
distinct regions in animals. Growth in animals remains uniform. Branch of biology deals with the
study of tissue is called Histology.
PLANT TISSUE
Mainly they are of two types :  Meristematic,  Permanent
(a) Meristematic Tissue :
These are simple living tissues having thin walled compactly arranged immature cells which are
capable of division and formation of new cells.

Main features of Meristematic tissues are :

(A). Thin primary cell wall (cellulosic).
(B). Intercellular spaces are absent (Compact tissue)
(C). Generally vacuoles are absent,
dense cytoplasm & prominent nuclei are present.
(D). Large number of cell organelles are present.
(E). Active metabolic state, stored food is absent.
(F). G1 S  G2  M cell cycle is switched on
(G). Actively dividing cells are present in
growing regions of plants e.g. root & shoot tips

(ii) Classification on the basis of origin :

(A).primary (Promeristem):
 Derived directly from the Meristems of embryo.
 They consist of cells derived from primary meristem.
 They add to primary growth of plants.
(B).Secondary :
 Formed by permanent tissues.
 These are having cells derived from primary permanent tissue.
 They usually add to the diameter of plants.
 Permanent tissue Dedifferentiation Secondary meristem
(iii)
Classification on the basis of location :
(A) Apical meristem: It is present at the growing tips of stems and roots. Cell
division in this tissue leads to the elongation of stem & root thus it is involved in primary growth of
the plant.
(B) Intercalary meristem: It is present behind the apex. It is the part of apical
meristem which is left behind during growth period. These are present at the base of leaf &
internode region. These lead to the increase in the length of leaf (Primary) e.g. in grass stem,
bamboo stem, mint stem etc..
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PUNEET SIR KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA LEH
PLANT TISSUE SPECIAL ADVANCED STUDY MATERIAL / QUESTION BANK
(C) Lateral meristem: It is also called as secondary meristem. It occurs along the
sides of longitudinal axis of the plant. It gives rise to the vascular tissues. Causes growth in girth of
stem & root. They are responsible for secondary growth.
EXERCISE-2.1
1. A group of cells having common origin and performing similar function is called
(A) tissue (B) organ (C)organ system (D) cell aggregate
2. Meristems are cells that
(A) store food (B) help in excretion (C) provide support (D) divide continuously for cells
3. Plant length is increased by the activity of
(A) apical meristem (B) lateral meristem (C) cambium (D) all of the above
4. In plants, cell division is restricted to
(A) Meristematic cells (B) permanent cells (C) xylem (D) phloem
5. In grasses the length of increases by the activity of
(A) apical meristem (B) intercalary (C) lateral (D) secondary
6. Special feature of dividing cells is
(A) large lacuna (B) thick cell walls
(C) dense cytoplasm devoid of lacuna (D) large intercellular spaces
7. Totipotency is present in
(A) meristem (B) cambium (C) phloem (D) cork
8. Which of the following is a feature of Meristematic tissues ?
(A) Thin cell wall (B) Compact tissue
(C) Large no. of cell organelles are present in cells of tissues. (D) All of the above
9. Which of the following plant tissue is formed by permanent tissue ?
(A) primary tissue (B) Secondary tissue (C) Both of above (D) None of above
10. Which of the following plant tissues causes growth in girth of stem and root ?
(A) Apical meristem (B) Intercalary meristem (C) Lateral meristem (D) None of the above
VERY SHORT ANSVER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. The tissues derived directly from the meristem of embryo is called as …………
2. A group of cells with similar structure, organized to do a common function is celled as.
3. Which plant tissue remains in active metabolic state always ?
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
4. Define tissue.
5. What do you mean by division of labour ?
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTION
6. What is issue? Explain Meristematic plant tissue.

PERMANENT TISSUE
 The permanent tissues are composed of those cells which have lost their capability to divide. They
have definite shape, size and thickness. The permanent tissue may be dead or living.
 The division & differentiation of the cells of Meristematic tissues give rise to
permanent tissues. In cell differentiation, developing tissue and organs change from simple to more
complex forms to become specialized for specific functions. The cells of permanent tissue loose the
capacity to divide and attain a permanent shape, size and function.
Depending Upon the structure and composition, are classified into two types :
1} Simple permanent tissues : Theses are made up of same type of cells which are similar
structurally and functionally. They include two types of tissue :
A} Protective Tissues : these tissue are primarily protective in function. They consist of :
 Epidermis : Epidermis forms one cell thick outermost layer of various body
organs of plants such as leaves, flowers, stems and roots. Epidermis is covered
outside by cuticle. Cuticle is a water proof layer of waxy substance called as cutin which is secreted by
the epidermal cells. Cuticle is very thick in xerophytes. Cells of epidermis of leaves are not continuous
at some places due to the presence of small pores called as stomata. Each stomata is guarded by a
pair of bean shaped cells called as guard cells. These are the only epidermal cells which possess
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PUNEET SIR KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA LEH
PLANT TISSUE SPECIAL ADVANCED STUDY MATERIAL / QUESTION BANK
chloplasts, the rest being colorless.
 Functions :
(i) The main function of epidermis is to protect the plant from desiccation and infection.
(ii) Cuticle of epidermis cuts rate of transpiration and evaporation of water and prevents wilting.
(iii)Stomata in epidermis allow gaseous exchange to occur during photosynthesis respiration.
(iv)Stomata also helps in transpiration.
 Cork or phellem : in older roots and stems, tissues at the periphery become
cork cells or phellem cells. Cork is made up to dead cells with thick walls and do not have any
intercellular spaces. The cell walls in cork deposit waxy substance called as suberin. The cells of cork
become impermeable to water and gasses due to the deposition of suberin. The cork cells are
without any protoplasm but are filled with resins or tannins.
 Functions :
(i) Cork is protective in function. Cork cells prevent desiccation, infection and mechanical injury.
(ii) Imperviousness, lightness, toughness, compressibility & elasticity make the cork commercially
valuable.
(iii)Cork is used for insulation, as shock absorber in linoleum.
(iv)Cork is used in the making of a variety of sport goods such as cricket balls, table tennis, shuttle
cocks, wooden paddles etc.
(B)Supporting tissue : These are supportive in function and of three types

1. Parenchyma: it is the fundamental tissue.

 Tissue first time evolved in bryophyte.
 Thin walled cells, oval or spherical in structure.
 Cell wall mainly composed of cellulose & pectin.
 Large central vacuole for food & water storage.
 Primary function is food storage.
 Some parenchyma involved in excretory substance storage are so called as idioblast, storing such as
resin, tannin, gums & oils. In typical parenchyma chlorophyll is absent.
 Chloroplast containing parenchyma tissue are chlorenchyma which perform photosynthesis e.g.
mesophyll of leaves.
 In hydrophytic plants aerenchyma (A type of parenchyma containing air spaces) provides buoyancy.
 Parenchyma provides turgidity to cells.

2. Collenchyma : it is the living mechanical tissue.

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PUNEET SIR KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA LEH
PLANT TISSUE SPECIAL ADVANCED STUDY MATERIAL / QUESTION BANK
 Elongated cells with thick corners.
 Localized cellulose & pectin thickening.
 Provides flexibility to plant parts & easy bending of various parts of plant.
 Present only in herbaceous dicot stem.
 Present at thin margin of leaves.
 Few chloroplasts may be present.
 If gives mechanical strength & elasticity to the growing stems.

3. Sclerenchyma : (Scleras-hard)
 Strengthening tissue.
 Composed of extremely thick walled cells with little or no protoplasm.
 Cells are dead & possess very thick lignified walls.
 Lignin is water proof material.
 Inter cellular spaces are absent.
Cells of Sclerenchyma are of two types :
 Sclereids: These are also called grit cells or stone cells. Theses are small cells, where lumen is so
small due to higher thickening of cell wall, as present in drup fruit (Mango, coconut walnut) in
legume seeds (Macrosclereid)
 Fibers : They are very long, narrow, thick, lignified cells. Lumen is large as compared to sclereids.
Generally 1-3 mm. long. In the thick walls of both the fibres and sclereids are present thin areas
called as pits.
 Sclerenchyma fibres are used in the manufacture of ropes, mats & certain textile fibres.
 Jute & coir are obtained from the thick bundles of fibres.
(ii) Complex permanent tissue : consists of more than 1 type of cells which work together as a unit.
 It helps in transportation of organic materials, water & minerals.
 It is also know as conducting or vascular tissue.
 Xylem & phloem together form vascular bundles.
(A) Xylem : Also known as wood and is a vascular and mechanical tissue. Thick walled cells are found
in the form of tubular passages.

 Xylem consists of four types of cells called as elements :

 Tracheids : T hey are elongated angular dead cells (Primitive elements) mainly involved in
conduction of water & minerals in gymnosperms.
 Vessels: they are advance element (Generally found in angiosperms).
Vessels are cylindrical tube like structures placed one above the other end to end which form a
continuous channel for efficient conduction of water.
 Xylem parenchyma : they are small & thick walled parenchymatous cells Subjected for storge of
starch (food).
 Xylem Sclerenchyma : They are non living fibres with thick walls & narrow cavities provide
mechanical support.
 Except xylem parenchyma all other xylem elements are dead.
 Hadrome : Tracheids & vessels are collectively called hadrome, as Conducting elements in xylem.
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PUNEET SIR KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA LEH
PLANT TISSUE SPECIAL ADVANCED STUDY MATERIAL / QUESTION BANK
 The annual rings present in the trunk of a tree are xylem rings. By Counting the number of annual
rings we can determine the age of a tree.

B) Phloem : They also consist of both parenchymatous & sclerenchymatous cells.

 Phloem consists of four types of element :

 Sieve tubes : Sieve tubes are slender tube like structures made up of
elongated, thin walled cells placed end to end. The end walls of sieve tube cells are perforated by
numerous pores are called as sieve plates. Nucleus of sieve cell degenera tes at maturity, however.
Cytoplasm persists, because of protoplasmic continuation of sieve tube with companion cell through
plasmodesmata. Sieve cells possess slime protein or protein which is concerned with growth and
repair of sieve cells.
 Companion cells : Companion cells have dense cytoplasm and prominent nuclei.
 Sieve cells & companion cells are so called sister cells because they originate from single mother cell.
 Phloem fibre : They give mechanical support to sieve tubes
 Phloem parenchyma : They store food & help in radial conduction of food.
 Leptome : main part of phloem involved in conduction of food, which is sieve tube.
 In xylem only unidirectional movement is possible while in phloem bidirectional movement can occur.
 In phloem except phloem Sclerenchyma all elements are living.
EXERCISE-2
1. A permanent plant tissue consisting of thin walled living cells
(A) parenchyma (B) collenchyma (C) Sclerenchyma (D) xylem
2. A permanent plant tissue made up of living having thickening at the comers is
A) Sclerenchyma (B) collenchyma (C) parenchyma (D) phloem
3. The main function of Sclerenchyma is to help in the
(A) conduction of food(B) synthesis of food(C) exchange of gases (D) mechanical support
4. The wall of cork cells are thickened by the deposition of
(A) cutin (B) suberin (C) lignin (D) pectin
5. The wax like substance present in the cell wall of onion skin is
(A) pectin (B) lignin (C) cellulose (D) suberin
6. The outer wall of epidermis in stems and leaves has a waxy covering made up of
(A) lignin (B) suberin (C) pectin (D) cutin
7. Collenchyma differs from Sclerenchyma in
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PUNEET SIR KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA LEH
PLANT TISSUE SPECIAL ADVANCED STUDY MATERIAL / QUESTION BANK
(A) retaining cytoplasm at maturity (B) having thick walls
(C) having a wide lumen (D) being Meristematic
8. Lignified elongated bead cells are
(A) parenchyma (B) collenchyma (C) sclerenchyma (D) Epidermis
9. Which of the following plant tissue lacks protoplasm at matunty ?
(A) Sclerenchyma (B) Collenchyma (C) parenchyma (D) Epidermis
10. In plants phloem tissues perform the function of
(A) conduction of water (B) conduction of food (C) photosynthesis (D) mechanical support
VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. sieve tubes and companion cells are found in…………. tissue (xylem/phloem/collenchyma)
2. Long, narrow, dead cells having a thick deposition of lignin in the cell wall are called ………. Cells.
(parenchyma/ cambium / sclerenchyma)
3. Which tissue is responsible for transport of water in plants ?
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
4. Name the different elements of xylem and phloem.
5. In hydrophytes xylem is less developed, why ?
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTION
6. Mention the role of parenchyma, collenchyma & Sclerenchyma.

(Exercise 1)

Q 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A. A D A A B C A D B C

(Exercise 2)

Q 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A. A B D B B D A C A B

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PUNEET SIR KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA LEH