Plant Cell Organisation

• Plant Cell Organisation


  • Epidermal tissue
  • Palisade mesophyll tissue
  • Spongy mesophyll tissue
  • Xylem
  • Phloem
  • Meristem tissue
• Epidermal tissue


  Covers the whole plant
• Palisade mesophyll tissue


  Part of the leaf where most photosynthesis happens
• Spongy mesophyll tissue


  Also in the leaf, contains big air spaces to allow gas to diffuse in and out of cells
• Xylem and phloem


  Transport water, mineral ions and food around the plant
• Meristem tissue

  Found at the growing tips of shoots and roots, able to differentiate into many plant cell types to allow growth
• The leaf is an organ made up of several types of tissue
• Leaves contain epidermal, mesophyll, xylem and phloem tissues
• Epidermal tissue


  • Covered with a waxy cuticle to reduce water loss
  • Upper epidermis is transparent to allow light to pass through
• Palisade mesophyll tissue

  • Has lots of chloroplasts to allow photosynthesis
• Xylem and phloem

  • Form a network of vascular bundles to deliver water, nutrients and take away glucose
  • Help support the leaf structure
• Leaf tissues

  • Adapted for efficient gas exchange
  • Lower epidermis has stomata to allow CO2 diffusion
  • Guard cells control opening and closing of stomata
  • Air spaces in spongy mesophyll increase rate of gas diffusion