Plants have tissue too

• Plants have organs, too, and associated with the presence of vascular tissues is the development of plant organs that are specialized for essential plant functions.
• There are two main types of tissues in vascular plants: meristematic and permanent.
• Permanent tissues are further subdivided into surface (dermal), fundamental (ground), and vascular.
• These plant tissues are either made up of one type of cells, or two or more different cell types with a common function.
• Meristems are made up of embryonic tissues called meristematic tissues and are part of the plant where growth is fastest.
• Apical meristems are found in the tip of the stems or roots that allow these organs to grow longer.
• Lateral meristems (lateral buds) are found on the nodes of stems and are involved in the formation of branches.
• Intercalary meristem is made up of meristematic cells that divide mitotically.
• Surface tissues protect and cover the surface of the different plant organs.
• The cells that make up surface tissues are usually flattened with their top and bottom surface parallel.
• The epidermis of the leaf is an example of surface tissue.
• The outer cell of the epidermis is covered with a layer of cuticle that is made up of a substance called cutin.
• Cuticle serves as protection against bacteria and other organisms that may cause harm to the plant.
• Epidermis is also found in the outer layer of leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and even seeds.
• Root hairs are slender projections found in the epidermal cells of roots, which enable cell’s modification to increase the surface area of the root for absorption.
• Guard cells are modified epidermal cells found on leaves that function to open or close the stomata, the leaf opening for gas exchange.
• During daytime, carbon dioxide diffuses in, and oxygen diffuses out of the stomata.
• Cork is another example of surface tissue that covers the outer surface of the bark of woody stems and roots.
• Fundamental or ground tissues form the main bulk of plants and fill most of the spaces in any plant organ.
• The cells that form the fundamental tissues are involved in the production and storage of food, and serves as support for the plant.
• Cell Types of Fundament Tissues include parenchyma cells, collenchyma cells, sclerenchyma cells, and fibers.
• Vegetative organs allow plants to live and grow.
• Compared to animals, plants have fewer types of tissues.
• Parenchyma cells usually contain plastids.
• Vessel elements are hollow and nonliving but are larger and without end walls, forming a continuous pipeline of water and minerals from the roots to the leaves.
• The phloem is usually located outside the xylem.
• Xylem transports water and minerals from roots to leaves via the stem.
• Parenchyma cells are found in the leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits.
• Parenchyma cells are capable of cell division and could give rise to more specialized cells, such as when roots develop from stem cuttings placed in water.
• In areas not exposed to light, such as tems, fruits, and roots, colorless plastids predominate.
• The thickness of the cell is usually uneven and occurs on the corners of the cell.
• Plant tissues eventually form organ systems: Root System and Shoot System.
• Collenchyma cells can be found in areas that are growing rapidly and needed to be strengthened, such as the leaf stalk.
• Sclereids are irregular in shape and are responsible for the tough seed coats and nutshells.
• The sieve tube members are elongated cells with few organelles and no nucleus.
• The products of photosynthesis (sugars and amino acids) are transported through sieve tube from the site where they are manufactured (leaves) to the sites where they are consumed or stored (roots, tubers, flowers, etc.).
• Collenchyma cells function mainly as support and have a similar structure to parenchyma cells but with a thicker cell wall.
• Companion cells are believed to control the transport activities of the sieve tube cells.
• Fibers are long and slender, for example abaca and pineapple fibers are used to make cloth.
• Sclerenchyma cells have a thick secondary cell wall in addition to the primary cell wall, which is impregnated with lignin.