GENERAL BIOLOGY 1

Plant cells
&
tissues
OVERVIEW
 Cell Aggregation
An aggregation of cells

The aggregated cells are more or less similar morphologically

and functionally

Cells that perform similar functions are organized into tissues

and tissues contribute to the whole structure of the organs.
 Cell Aggregation
Tissues

-Collection of cells that is specialised in performing one or more

particular functions

-Same type of cell Parenchyma in plants

-Mixed type of cells xylem and phloem (vascular tissue)

Organs.

Composed of more than one tissue

Eg leaves, stems and roots

System

A collection of organs with a particular function

Vascular tissue system (xylems and phloem) Transport

 Specialized Cells

Type of cells in a leaf Function

Mesophyll cell Photosynthesis and storage of starch.
(Gk middle leaf)
Palisade mesophyll Photosynthesis.
Spongy mesophyll Allows efficient gas exchange in their large
intercellular air spaces.
Epidermis cell Protection from desiccation and infection (wax). Lack
of chloroplasts, thus, transparent.
Vascular tissue Include transport tissues (xylem and phloem vessels).
Organisation of Cells into Tissues
The process of differentiation and maturation of
different tissues from undiffferentiated cells is
called histogenesis.

Specialized Plant Tissues:

1. Meristem (regions of cells actively dividing).

2. Fundamental/Ground tissues (Parenchyma,
Collenchyma and Sclerenchyma).
3. Vascular tissues (Xylem and Phloem).
 Meristemic cell =
Meristem
undifferentiated cell.
Consists of actively dividing (mitosis) cells.
Thin cellulose wall, with dense cytoplasm
(almost no vacuoles)
Cells that undergo cell division, cell
elongation, and cell differentiation into all
the other cell types.
Living cells.
Divided into three types:
- apical meristem (shoot & root apex)
- lateral meristem (surround stem)
vascular cambium
- intercalary meristem (btw
region of permanent tissue).
Thin walls with no lignin.
Function: Mainly divide and form new plant
cells.
 Parenchyma
STRUCTURE
Roughly spherical
FUNCTIONS
The cells are unspecialised and act
as a packing tissue between more
specialised tissue
Support in herbaceous plants due to
osmotic properties of the cell.
(turgidity)
Although structurally unspecialised,
the cells are metabolically active
Parenchyma Site of food storage (potato tubers
parenchyma cell stores starch)
Parenchyma cells may become
modified and more specialised in
certain parts of the plant. Some
examples of tissues regarded as
modified parenchyma are
epidermis, mesophyll and companion
cells.
STRUCTURE Collenchyma
Deposition of extra cellulose at the
corner of the cells.
The deposition occurs after the formation
of the primary cell wall.
The cell occur in patches (angular type) or
may elongate parallel to the longitudinal
axis of the organ (stem) in which they are
found.
FUNCTION
Collenchyma consists of living cells but is
modified/specialised to give support and
mechanical strength.
Moderately thick-walled cells (used for
strength)
Provides support for primary(new growth)
tissues.
They form petiole (in celery - picture)
 Sclerenchyma
Fibers

The cell wall is heavily thickened with

Sclereids deposits of lignin cells used for
mechanical support in stems and roots
Mature cells are dead and incapable of
elongation so they do not mature until
elongation of the living cells around them
is complete.
Lignin waterproofs the walls of water
conducting vessels.
Two types: fibers or sclereids.
Fibers long, tapered cells in vascular
tissue systems of some stems and leaves;
they flex, twist and resist stretching.
Sclereids are stubbier; a source of hard
seed coats, coconut shells, etc.
 Xylem
Specialized for conduction of water and
mineral salts, and support.
Consists of 2 cell types, namely tracheids,
and vessel elements.
Vessel elements and tracheids are dead (no
cyto, no end walls) at maturity and their
lignified walls interconnect.
Tracheid have tapering end walls that
overlap with adjacent tracheid in the same
way as sclerenchyma fibres thus providing
supports to the plant.
A vessel is formed when the neighbouring
vessel elements fuse as a result of their
end walls breaking down.
Water flows into and out of the adjoining
cells through numerous pits.
Mechanism passive process
 Specialized for translocation of Phloem
organic solutes like sucrose.
They are formed by the end-to-end fusion of
cells called sieve tube elements.
The nuclei degenerate and are lost as they
mature and the cytoplasm becomes confined
to a thin layer around the periphery of the cell.
Sieve tube element remains living but are
dependent on the adjacent companion cells
which developed from the same meristematic
cell.
These two cells form a functional unit, the
companion cells having dense, very active
cytoplasm.
Sieve plate is formed when plasmodesmata on
the adjoining end walls of neighbouring sieve
tube elements enlarge to become pores.
Mechanism active process