CLASS 9

TISSUES

Introduction

 All living organisms are made up of cells.

 Organisms can be:

o Unicellular – single cell (e.g., Amoeba, bacteria, yeast).

o Multicellular – many cells (e.g., man, lion, neem, dog).

Unicellular Organism:

 One cell performs all life functions: digestion, respiration, reproduction, excretion, etc.

Multicellular Organism:

 Made of millions of cells.

 Cells are grouped into tissues to perform specific functions.

Development of Tissues

 All multicellular organisms develop from a single cell (zygote).

 This cell divides by cell division.

 Differentiation: Process by which cells undergo changes to perform different functions.

 Leads to formation of tissues.

Definition of Tissue

A tissue may be defined as a group of similar cells that perform or help to perform a common
function and have a common origin.

Plant and Animal Tissues

Plant Tissues

 In plants, cells of similar origin group together to perform specific functions.

  Plant tissues are of two main types:

1. Meristematic Tissues

o Made of undifferentiated, actively dividing cells.

o Responsible for growth.

2. Permanent Tissues

o Made of differentiated cells.

o Cells have lost the ability to divide.

Differences between Plant Tissues and Animal Tissues

Plant Tissues Animal Tissues

1. Most plants are stationary and remain fixed Animals move from one place to another.
in one place. They need less energy. They need more energy.

→ Tissues are supportive and provide → Tissues are mostly made up of living cells
mechanical strength. (e.g., nervous, muscular, connective tissues).

→ Tissues are thick-walled, lignified and

mostly dead (e.g., xylem, cork,
sclerenchyma).

2. Growth is indefinite and occurs in specific Growth is definite and more or less uniform
regions (like root and shoot tips). across the body.

→ Plants have dividing and non-dividing → No clear regions of dividing or non-

tissues. dividing tissues.

3. Structural organisation is less complex than Structural organisation of organs and

in animals. systems is more complex.

Meristematic Tissues (Meristems)

Definition:

 Found at growing parts of a plant (root tips, shoot tips, stem and branch tips).

 Meristems help in the growth of the plant.

 They are primary meristems as they are present from birth.

Characteristics of Meristematic Tissues:

1. Cells are similar in structure with thin, elastic primary cell walls made of cellulose.

2. Cells are rounded, oval, polygonal, or rectangular.

3. They have large and prominent nuclei.

4. Vacuoles are small or absent.

5. Cells are closely packed.

6. No intercellular spaces.

7. Active cell division occurs.

8. New cells later lose the ability to divide and become permanent tissues through
differentiation.

Types of Meristems (based on location):

1. Apical Meristem – Found at the tip of roots and shoots.

2. Lateral Meristem – Found along the sides of stems and roots.

3. Intercalary Meristem – Found at the base of leaves or internodes (in grasses).

Types of Meristematic Tissues (Based on Position)

1. Apical Meristem

 Location: At the tips of roots and shoots.

 Function:

o Brings about increase in length of the plant.

o Responsible for primary growth.

 Examples:

o Root apical meristem

o Shoot apical meristem

Diagram: Shows growing region, calyptrogen, root cap, mature region.

2. Lateral Meristem

 Location: On the sides of root, stem, and branches, parallel to the long axis.

 Function:

o Increases width or girth of the plant (i.e., secondary growth).

 Types:

o Cork cambium (in the bark)

o Vascular cambium (in dicot vascular bundles)

 Activity of cambium leads to formation of secondary tissues.

3. Intercalary Meristem

 Location:

o At the base of internodes (in monocots)

o At the base of leaves (e.g., mint plant, Pinus)

 Function:

o Helps in elongation/growth of the region where it's present.

Permanent Tissues

Origin:

 Formed from meristematic tissues after they undergo differentiation.

 Once formed, permanent tissues lose the ability to divide.

 They make up the major portion of the plant body.

Characteristics of Permanent Tissues:

1. Constitute the major part of the plant body.

2. Cells do not divide.

 3. Cells attain permanent shape to perform specific functions.

4. Cells may be living or dead.

5. Cell walls may be thin or thick.

Types of Permanent Tissues:

Permanent Tissues

🔹 Simple (one type of cells) → Parenchyma, Collenchyma, Sclerenchyma

🔹 Complex (more than one type) → Xylem, Phloem

Simple Permanent Tissues

 Made of similar type of cells with common origin and function.

(i) Parenchyma

 Derived from Greek words: para (beside) + enchyma (tissue).

 Cell Shape: Spherical, irregular or columnar.

 Cell Wall: Thin, made of cellulose or calcium pectate.

 Vacuoles: Large; helps in storing food/water.

 Nucleus: Each cell has a prominent nucleus.

 Function: Acts as packing tissue in plant body.

 Distribution: Found in roots, stems, leaves, fruits, etc.

 Plant parts composed of parenchyma are generally soft.

Location:

 Found in: epidermis, cortex, pith, pericycle, mesophyll, fruits, endosperm, etc.

 Also present in xylem and phloem.

Special Types of Parenchyma:

 Storage Parenchyma: Enlarged cells for storing food and water (e.g., potato tuber,
Euphorbia).
  Aerenchyma:

o Found in aquatic plants.

o Large air cavities in cells help store gases and provide buoyancy.

Functions of Parenchyma:

1. Storage of food – e.g., starch in potato cortex.

2. Water storage – e.g., in Euphorbia, Opuntia.

3. Framework of soft plant parts – e.g., pith, cortex, mesophyll.

4. Storage of waste products – e.g., tannins, resins, gums, oils.

5. Gaseous exchange – through intercellular spaces.

6. Photosynthesis – in chloroplast-containing parenchyma (called chlorenchyma) like in

mesophyll.

(ii) Collenchyma

Definition:

 Living tissue of primary body.

 Cells are thin-walled, but have thickening at corners due to cellulose and pectin.

Structure:

 Cells are elongated, compact, with no intercellular spaces.

 Found in 3–4 layers beneath the epidermis of stems, petioles, and leaves of dicots.

 Absent in monocot stems, roots, and leaves.

Functions of Collenchyma:

1. Provides flexibility to plant parts (e.g., leaves, young stems).

2. Gives mechanical support, especially during bending or wind action.

3. Photosynthesis – in cells with chloroplasts.

 4. Helps leaf movement and protects from breaking.

Complex Permanent Tissues (Conducting Tissues)

Definition:

 Made up of more than one type of cell.

 All cells work together to perform a common function.

 Also called vascular tissues.

 Function: Transport of water, minerals, and food throughout the plant.

Types:

1. Xylem

2. Phloem

Xylem

 Function: Conducts water and dissolved inorganic solutes from roots to all plant parts.

 Consists of 4 types of cells:

(i) Tracheids

o Elongated hollow cells with tapering ends.

o Cell walls thick due to lignin.

o Pits: Areas where lignin is absent; allows easy movement of water.

o Arranged to form channels for water movement.

o Dead cells.

(ii) Xylem Vessels (Tracheae)

o Tubular, long cells placed end to end.

o End walls may have perforations or be absent.

o Also dead cells.

o Main conducting elements for water.

(iii) Xylem Fibres

 o Supportive cells that provide mechanical strength.

o Also dead cells.

(iv) Xylem Parenchyma

o Only living component of xylem.

o Stores food and helps in sideways conduction of water.

Diagram: Shows different types of xylem cells – tracheids, vessels, parenchyma, fibres.

Phloem

 Function: Conducts food (organic nutrients) from leaves to other parts of the plant.

 Living tissue.

Phloem is made up of 4 elements:

1. Sieve Tubes – Main conducting cells.

2. Companion Cells – Help sieve tubes in transport.

3. Phloem Parenchyma – Stores food.

4. Phloem Fibres – Only dead tissue in phloem; provides mechanical support.

Diagram: Shows sieve tubes, companion cells, and other phloem elements.

Phloem (Continued)

(i) Sieve Tubes

 Main conducting part of phloem.

 Made of elongated cylindrical cells arranged in vertical rows.

 Terminal walls of sieve tubes have minute pores → called sieve plates.

 These perforated walls allow food to pass easily.

(ii) Companion Cells

 Support sieve tubes in conduction of food.

 Are living parenchymatous cells.

  Always found associated with sieve tubes.

 Arise from the same mother cell as the sieve tube → form a functional unit.

 Thin cell wall, living cytoplasm (active protoplast).

 The wall between sieve tube and companion cell has fine pits → traversed by
plasmodesmata.

(iii) Phloem Parenchyma

 Ordinary living parenchyma cells associated with phloem.

 Function: Stores food.

(iv) Phloem Fibres

 Dead sclerenchymatous fibres.

 Provide mechanical strength to phloem.

 Textile fibres like flax, hemp, jute are made from phloem fibres.

Vascular Bundle

Xylem and phloem occur together in plants and are collectively called a vascular bundle.