Plant Structure and Function

Plant Structure and Function

Plant Body
 The unique

organization of tissues in flowering plants is part of the reason why they are the dominant group of the plant kingdom.

Monocots and Dicots

Meristems
 Meristems – region of undifferentiated cells that can

divide rapidly.
 Apical meristems – shoots and tip of roots (primary

growth)
 Lateral meristems – thickening of the cambium

(secondary growth)

Plant Tissues

Plant Tissues




Xylem – conducts water and mineral ions; fluids can move laterally and vertically.


Tracheids – dead at maturity



Vessel members – dead at maturity Phloem – conducts sugars and organic solutes


Sieve tubes – alive at maturity; distributes sugars all throughout the plant.

Primary Structure of shoots

Apical Meristem

Inside the stem

Closer look at leaves

Closer LOOK at Leaves

Leaf veins

Primary structure of roots

Root structures

Root structures

Secondary growth

Secondary grwoth

Structure of wood

Tree rings and old secrets
Tree rings are used to estimate average annual rainifall, Date archeological ruins, gather evidence of wildfires, floods,
Landslides and glacier movements. Tree rings and old secrets

Modified stems
 Many plants have modified stem structures that function in storage or

reproduction.
 STOLONS – also called runners; may look like roots but they have nodes.

Rhizomes and bulbs

Fleshy, scaly stems that typically grow under the soil. It is the main stem of the plant and as a primary

A underground stem encases in overlapping layers of thickened modified leaves called

Corms and tubers

A thickened underground stem that stores nutrients.
Unlike bulbs, a corm is solid rather than layered.
It has a basal plate for

Thickened portions of underground stolons, primary storage of tissues.
They do not have basal plate like corms and bulbs.

cladodes