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CHAPTER AT A GLANCE

Tissue 35
Key Points : Tissue, Plant Tissue, Meristematic, Apical Meristem, Intercalary
Meristem, Lateral Meristem Permanent, Protective Tissue, Epidermis, Cork,
Parenchyma, Collenchyma, Sclerenchyma, Sclereids, Fibers, Sclerenchyma Fibres,
Complex Permanent Tissue, Xylem, Phloem, Sieve Tubes, Animal Tissue, Epithlial
Tissue, Connective Tissue, Muscular Tissue, Nerve Tissue.
PLANT TISSUE – Meristematic & Permanent
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 :
• Thin primary cell wall (cellulosic).
• Intercellular spaces are absent (compact tissue).
• Generally vacuols are absent, dense cytoplasm & prominent nuclei are
present.
• Large numbers of cell organelles are present.
• Active metabolic state, stored food is absent.
• Actively dividing cells are present in growing regions of plants e.g., root
& shoot tips.
Classiflcation 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.

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(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 differentiation Secondary meristem

Classiflcation 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.
(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.
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, the Permanent tissues are
classifled into two types :
(A) Simple Permanent Tissues
• These are made up of same type of cells which are similar
structurally and functionally.
• They include two types of tissue :
(a) Protective Tissues : These tissues are primarily protective in
function. They consist of :
(i) 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 chloroplasts, the rest being colourless.

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 Functions of Epidermis
• The main function of epidermis is to protect the plant from
desiccation and infection.
• Cuticle of epidermis cuts the rate of transpiration and
evaporation of water and prevents wilting.
• Stomata in epidermis allow gaseous exchange to occur
during photosynthesis respiration.
• Stomata also helps in
transpiration.
Cork or(ii)
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 gases
due to the deposition of suberin.
• The cork cells are without any protoplasm but are filled with
resins or tannins.

Functions of Cork :
• Cork is protective in function. Cork cells prevent desiccation,
infection and mechanical injury.
• Imperviousness, lightness, toughness, compressibility and
elasticity make the cork commercially valuable.
• Cork is used for insulation, as shock absorber in linoleum.
• 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 Tissues These are supportive in function and are of
:three types :
 (i) 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.
(ii) Collenchyma : It is the living mechanical tissue.

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• 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.
• Gives mechanical strength & elasticity to the growing stems.
(iii) 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.
• Intercellular spaces are absent.
 Cells of sclerenchyma are of two types :
Sclereids :
• These are also called grit cells or stone cells.
• These 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.
Sclrenchyma Fibres
• These are used in the manufacture of ropes, mats & certain textile
fibres.
• Jute and coir are obtained from the thick bundle of fibres.

Difference between Parenchyma, Collenchyma and Sclerenchyma

Features Parenchyma Collenchyma Sclerenchyma

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 1. Cell shape Isodiametric Circular, oval or Variable in shape.
cells which are polyhedral. Fibres and
oval, spherical sclereids.
or polygonal
in shape.
2. Cell wall Thin cellulosic Uneven thickening
cell wall. on their cell wall. Lignified secondary
cell wall present.
3. Cytoplasm Abundant Present Absent
4. Nucleus Present (LivingPresent (Living Absent (Dead tissue)
tissue) tissue)
5. Vacuoles Large vacuole Vacuolated Absent
6. Present Absent Absent
Intercellular
spaces
7. Occurrence Basically packing Dicot stems, Dicot hypodermis,
tissue, all soft petiole and bundle sheath,
part of plant- beneath the pericycl, seed, pulp of
pith, cortex, epidermis. Absent fruits.
medullary rays. in monocot and
roots.
8. Functions Food storage, Provide tensile Protection from
photosynthesis. strength, stress and strain,
mechanical mechanical strength.
support,
photosynthesis.
(B) Complex Permanent Tissues
• It consists of more than one type of cells which work together as a
unit.
• It helps in transportation of organic materials, water & minerals.
• It is also known as conducting or vascular tissue.
• Xylem & phloem together form vascular bundles.
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 :
(i) Tracheids :
• They are elongated angular dead cells (primitive elements) mainly
involved in conduction of water and minerals in gymnosperms.
(ii) Vessles : 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.
(iii) Xylem parenchyma :
• They are small & thick walled parenchymatous cells subjected for
storage of starch (food).
(iv) Xylem sclerenchyma :
• Thy are non-living fibres with thick walls and narrow cavities
provide mechanical support.
• Except xylem parenchyma all other xylem elements are dead.
• 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.
Phloem : They also consist of both parenchymatous and schlerenc-
-hymatous cells.

Phloem consists of four types of element :

(i) 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,
called as sieve plates.
• Nucleus of sieve cell degenerates at maturity. However, cytoplasm

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 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.
(ii) 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.
(iii) Phloem fibre :
• They give mechanical support to sieve tubes.
(iv) Phloem parenchyma
:• They store food and help in radial conduction of
[Link]
(v) :
• 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.

Components of Phloem

Xylem and Phloem

Features Xylem Phloem
Cells : Dead Living
Living/dead Cell
walls : Thickness Thick Thin
Material Lignin Cellulose
Permeability Impermeable Permeable
Cross walls None Sieve plates
Cytoplasm None Yes
Function Carries water and salts Carries sugars
Direction of flow Upwards Down and up
Special features Fibres Companion cells

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