Name: John Pierre G.

Solomon Block: 1 – 4 Date Performed:

Activity No. 6B

Title: “Dermal Tissues”

Objectives:

Materials:

 compound light microscope Fresh plant specimen:

 glass slides - Coleus stem
 cover slips - Pepperomia stem (pancit-pancitan)
 sharp razor blade - Kalanchoe stem
 labeling tape - Ixora or Hibiscus stem
 medicine dropper - corn seedling
- orchid (Vanda) root
Prepared slides of:
 Ranunculus root, c.s. Leaves of:
 Ranunculus or Tilia stem (young), c.s. - Setcreasea pallida - Muntingia calabura
 Ranunculus or Tilia stem (old), c.s. - Rhoeo spathacea (ratiles)
 Ixora sinensis leaf, c.s. - Annona squamosal (atis) - Hibiscus esculentus
 Zea mays leaf, c.s. - Mangifera indica (okra) leaf or fruit
 Ficus leaf, c.s. - Brassica oleracea (broccoli) - Lantana camara
- Sansevierias p. - Zea mays

Background:

The dermal tissue system, the epidermis, is a complex tissue composed of several types of cells –
pavement cells, guard cells, trichomes, subsidiary cells, root hairs, bulliform cells, and the like. It is the outer
protective layer of the primary plant body, for example, in herbaceous plants. It is usually one cell-layer thick,
usually lacks chloroplasts, and formed when protoderm cells derived from the apical meristems differentiate. It
has diverse functions, which include: a) protection against herbivores and pathogens, b) gas exchange, c)
resistance against desiccation, d) secretion, and e) absorption. The epidermis is replaced by the periderm in the
secondary plant body, e.g., in woody plants.

Procedure:

1. Examine prepared slides of young and old Ranunculus or Tilia stem under low power objective and high
power objective. Focus on the surface tissues. Compare the surface covering of the young and old dicot
stem.
 2. Observe under low power objective and high power objective a prepared slide of Ranunculus root (c.s.).
How will you differentiate the epidermis of the root and stem? Which one is cutinized?
3. Prepare a cross section of Sansevieria leaf. Note the thick cuticle.
4. Examine the cross section of the leaves of Ficus, Ixora, and Zea mays. Note the epidermis in Ficus. Is it
uniseriate or multiseriate? Locate the stomata in Ixora, and the bulliform cells in Zea leaf.
5. Carefully make very thin sections of the stems of the following plants: Coleus blumei, Pepperomia
pellucida, Kalanchoe, Ixora sinensis (mature stem). Examine under low power objective. Which plants
have a uniseriate epidermis? Prepare also fresh mounts of Sansevieria leaf and orchid (Vanda) root.
Note the number of layers of cells in the epidermis.
6. Prepare epidermal peel from the leaves of: Setcreasea pallida or Rhoeo spathacea, Annona squamosa,
Lantana camara, Zea mays or Carabao grass, Mangifera indica, and Brassica oleracea (broccoli).
Observe under low power objective and high power objective. Determine the type of stomata based on
the position or arrangement of subsidiary cells.
7. Using a sharp razor blade, scrape off some trichomes from Hibiscus esculentus (okra) stem or fruit,
Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) leaf, Muntingia calabura (ratiles) leaf, Lantana camara leaf. Note the
variations in the morphology of trichomes.
8. Excise the root of a corn seedling. Mount on a clean slide and add 1 – 2 drops of water. Examine the
root hairs. In which region of the root do root hairs grow?
9. Draw and label the parts:
a) Ranunculus/Tilia stem, c.s., young
b) Ranunculus/Tilia stem, c.s. old
c) Ixora leaf, c.s.
d) Zea mays leaf, c.s., showing bulliform cells
e) Stomatal complex of the plants examined in procedure 6
f) Trichomes of the plant specimens observed in procedure 7
g) Root hairs of corn seedling

Observations:

1. Comparison of the surface covering of the young and old dicot stem

2. Differentiation of the root and stem of Ranunculus

3. What substance impregnates the cuticle of Sansevieria leaf besides cutin and wax?

4. How are bulliform cells different morphologically from the other cells of the epidermis?

5. In what part of the epidermis are the stomata of Ixora located? Type of epidermis in Ficus:

6. Which of the following plants: Coleus blumei, Pepperomia pellucida, Kalanchoe, Ixora sinensis (mature
stem), exhibit a multiseriate epidermis?

7. What do you call the multilayered epidermis of Vanda root? Of what use is this to the plant?
 8. Stomata type of: Setcreasea pallida or Rhoeo spathacea, Annona squamosal (atis), Lantana camara,
Zea mays or Carabao grass, Brassica oleracerae (broccoli) and Mangifera indica (mango), based on the
position or arrangement of subsidiary cells:
a) Setcreasea pallida
b) Annona squamosal (atis)
c) Lantana camara
d) Zea mays/Carabao grass
e) Brassica oleracerae (broccoli)
f) Mangifera indica (mango)

9. Trichome types of Hibiscus esculentus (okra) stem or fruit, Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) leaf,
Muntingia calabura (ratiles) leaf, and Lantana camara leaf.
a) H. esculentus (okra)
b) S. lycopersicum (tomato)
c) M. calabura (ratiles)
d) Lantana camara (kantutay)

10. Root hairs grow specifically in the region of

Drawings/Pictures:

Ranunculus stem, young, c.s. Ranunculus stem, old, c.s.

Ixora leaf, c.s. Zea mays leaf, c.s.

 Epidermis in Ficus leaf, c.s. Orchid (Vanda) root, c.s.

Stomata Types of Plants Observed:

Stomata Type: Stomata Type:

Setcreasea pallida Annona squamosa

Stomata Type: Stomata Type:

Lantana camara Zea mays
 Stomata Type: Stomata Type:
Mangifera indica Brassica oleracea

Trichome Types of Plant Specimens Observed:

Hibiscus esculentus (okra) leaf or stem S. lycopersicum (tomato) leaf

M. calabura (ratiles) leaf Lantana camara (kantutay) leaf

Guide Questions:

1. What type of division makes possible the development of multilayered epidermis?

The multilayered epidermis is derived from successive tangential divisions of cells of initially single-
layered epidermis commencing about two weeks after full bloom. The subsequent epidermal layers
result from division of cells of epidermal meristem.
 2. Cite at least 4 epidermal cells with special structure or content.

Cuticle

In plants leaves, epidermal cells are located on the upper and lower part of the leaf where they form the upper
and lower epidermis.

The cuticle, however, is located on the upper epidermis for the most part. In plants, this is the outermost part
that is secreted by the epidermis. Here, it consists of a substance known as the cutin (polymerized esters of fatty
acids). On the upper epidermis, the cuticle, which is waxy in nature, acts as a water-repellent. It is also shiny
and thus helps reflect off excess sunlight.

* The thickness of a cuticle in plants is largely dependent on the type of plant and where they are located.

Apart from plants, the cuticle can also be found in various organisms such as arthropods. Here, it consists of
various pigments and chitin that protect the inner tissue of the organism. In human beings, however, the cuticle
is the epidermis.

Pavement cells are the most common cells of the plant's epidermis. As such, they can be found covering all
plant organs in any plant.

As compared to the other types of cells, pavement cells are not fully specialized. For this reason, their shapes
(morphology) are not well modified for special functions as is the case with stomatal guard cells. For different
plants and organs, however, studies have shown the morphology of pavement cells to vary.

For instance, in Arabidopsis thaliana, pavement cells have an irregular wavy shape that is produced during the
development of leaves. In the leaves of many dicots, the shape resembles interlocking jigsaw puzzle pieces
which provide some mechanical strength to the leaves.

As compared to other parts of the plant, pavement cells located in the stem and various elongated plant organs
have a rectangular appearance with a long axis that is parallel to the direction of expansion (of the organ/stem).
The differences in morphology have been attributed to the functions and growth forms of these organs.

* Epidermal of pavement cells in coma plants (Arabidopsis) have been shown to contain chloroplasts.

Tightly packed together, pavement cells serve to prevent excess water loss. In addition, they make up a
protective layer that protects other more specialized cells located beneath.

Some of the other functions of this layer of cells include:

 Help maintain the internal temperature

 Keep the inner layers of cells in place
 Barriers to various organisms, particles and other substances from the external environment
 Separate the stomata apart (by providing tension on either side of stomata)
 Stomatal Guard Cells

Stomatal guard cells are part of the epidermal tissue that serves several functions in plants.

Depending on the type of plant, the spatial arrangement of these cells is not only dependent on size, but also the
shape of air-space below them. Unlike pavement cells, guard cells are more specialized with a definitive shape
that allows them to carry out their functions.

With regards to structure, two guard cells form the stomata. Depending on water availability (as well as the
concentration of sugars and ions), guard cells can become turgid which controls the closing and opening of the
stomata pore. In turn, the closing and opening of these pores regulate gaseous exchange in and out of the leaves.

* Turgor pressure regulates the closing and opening of guard cells.

* Guard cells also contain chloroplasts that allow for photosynthesis.

Trichomes

Trichomes (epidermal hairs) are tiny hairs located on the epidermal tissue. Like stomatal guard cells, trichomes
are also more specialized and thus have well-defined shapes that contribute to their functions. The trichome of
Arabidopsis has been well studied and described over the years

With large single cells measuring between 200 and 300um in length, different types of trichome have been
shown to play a protective role in plants where they protect plants from predators as well as organisms that
cause diseases.

Here, the trichome achieves this by either trapping or poisoning the animal to protect the plant. For some of the
plants, however, trichomes simply function as barriers that protect inner tissues of leaves.

Unlike the other cells of the epidermal tissue, studies have shown that cell division is arrested in trichomes.
Several rounds of endoreduplication are therefore responsible for the expansion of the cell as pavement cells
continue dividing.

3. True or False. The convex side of a guard cell has thick wall.

True

4. Cite two examples of plant families whose members have multiseriate epidermis (besides the ones
mentioned in this activity).

5. Which of these two leaf epidermises – upper/lower – is directed toward the axis of the plant body? What
technical term is used to refer to such part?
 6. True or False. The epidermis exists throughout the entire life of a gymnosperm.

7. Give two examples of plants with lignified epidermis.

8. Bulliform cells are located in the (abaxial, adaxial) region of the epidermis.

Conclusion: