Tissues

Group of cells similar in structure and function.

Importance of tissues
1. Formation of tissues has brought about division of labour in multicellular
organisms.
2. Tissues become organized to form organs and organs into organ systems.
3. Workload of individual cell ahs decreased due to origin of tissues.
4. As a result of improved organization and higher efficiency, multicellular
organisms have higher survival.

Plant Tissues
Plant tissues can be broadly divided into two main types.

Plant tissues are of various types, and they are made up of similar types of cells.
They are different from animal tissues since there are several differences between
animal and plant cells. Meristematic tissues and permanent tissues are the two types
of plant tissues.
 1. MERISMATIC TISSUE
 The growth of plants occurs only in certain specific regions. This is because the dividing
tissue, also known as meristematic tissue.
 Depending on the region where they are present, meristematic tissues are classified as
apical, lateral and intercalary.
 New cells produced by meristem are initially like those of meristem itself, but as they
grow and mature, their characteristics slowly change and they become differentiated as
components of other tissues.

NATURE OF MERISMATIC

Cells of meristematic tissue are

1.very active,

2.have dense cytoplasm,

3. thin cellulose walls

4.prominent nuclei.

5.They lack vacuoles.

APICAL TISSUE

 Apical meristem is present at the growing tips of stems and roots and increases the
length of the stem and the root.
 The girth of the stem or root increases due to lateral meristem (cambium).

Intercalary meristem

 Intercalary meristem seen in some plants is located near the node.

lateral meristem

 The girth of the stem or root increases due to lateral meristem (cambium).

PERMANENT TISSUE

Differentiation

They take up a specific role and lose the ability to divide. As a result, they form a permanent tissue.
This process of taking up a permanent shape, size, and a function is called differentiation.
Differentiation leads to the development of various types of permanent tissues.

SIMPLE PERMANENT TISSUE

Def:
Types
1. Parenchyma
 Parenchyma is the most common simple permanent tissue.
 It consists of relatively unspecialised cells with thin cell walls.
 They are living cells.
  They are usually loosely arranged, thus large spaces between cells (intercellular spaces)
are found in this tissue.

Function:

This tissue generally stores food.

CHLORENCHYMA

AERENCHYMA

In aquatic plants, large air cavities are present in parenchyma to help them float. Such a parenchyma
type is called aerenchyma.

COLLENCHYMA

 The flexibility in plants is due to another permanent tissue. We can find this tissue in leaf
stalks below the epidermis. The cells of this tissue are living, elongated and irregularly
thickened at the corners. There is very little intercellular space

Function: It allows bending of various parts of a plant like tendrils and stems of climbers without
breaking. It also provides mechanical support.

SCLERENCHYMA

Def:

Nature/ structure:

The cells of this tissue are dead. They are long and narrow as the walls are thickened due to lignin.
Often these walls are so thick that there is no internal space inside the cell (Fig. 6.4 c). This tissue is
present in stems, around vascular bundles, in the veins of leaves and in the hard covering of seeds
and nuts.

Example: coconut

Function:

It provides strength to the plant parts.

WHAT IS EPIDERMIS?

The outermost layer of cells, called epidermis. The epidermis is usually made of a single layer of cells.
In some plants living in very dry habitats, the epidermis may be thicker since protection against
water loss is critical. The entire surface of a plant has an outer covering epidermis.

Function:

It protects all the parts of the plant. Epidermal cells on the aerial parts of the plant often secrete a
waxy, water resistant layer on their outer surface. This aids in protection against loss of water,
mechanical injury and invasion by parasitic fungi.

WHY EPIDERMAL CELLS ARE FLAT?

Since it has a protective role to play, cells of epidermal tissue form a continuous layer without
intercellular spaces. Most epidermal cells are relatively flat. Often their outer and side walls are
thicker than the inner wall.
STOMATA

Small pores here and there in the epidermis of the leaf. These pores are called stomata.Stomata are
enclosed by two kidney-shaped cells called guard cells. They are necessary for exchanging gases with
the atmosphere. Transpiration (loss of water in the form of water vapour) also takes place through
stomata.

EPIDERMAL CELL ----------------------- GASES AND WATER.

COMPLEX PERMANENT TISSUE

Complex tissues are made of more than one type of cells. All these cells coordinate to perform a
common function. Xylem and phloem are examples of such complex tissues. They are both
conducting tissues and constitute a vascular bundle.Vascular tissue is a distinctive feature of the
complex plants, one that has made possible their survival in the terrestrial environment.

XYLEM

Xylem consists of tracheids, vessels, xylem parenchyma (Fig. 6.7 a,b,c) and xylem fibres. Tracheids
and vessels have thick walls, and many are dead cells when mature. Tracheids and vessels are
tubular structures. This allows them to transport water and minerals vertically. The parenchyma
stores food. Xylem fibres are mainly supportive in function.

PHLOEM

Phloem is made up of five types of cells: sieve cells, sieve tubes, companion cells, phloem fibres and
the phloem parenchyma [Fig. 6.7 (d)]. Sieve tubes are tubular cells with perforated walls. Phloem
transports food from leaves to other parts of the plant. Except phloem fibres, other phloem cells are
living cells.

Animal Tissues