Digital Photomicrography and POWERPOINT Presentations: Teaching Supplements for General Botany And Plant Anatomy

Natalie E. Hubbard And Howard J. ARNOTT The Department of Biology and The Center for Electron Microscopy, The University of Texas at Arlington

Plant Anatomy

Two main functions: 1. Important inconduction of carbohydrates, minerals and water 2. A vital support organ for leaves, fruit and reproductive organs

Vascular bundles in discrete bundles Arranged in rings or randomly scattered in tissue

Monocot Stem Vascular Bundle:

Xylem Phloem Air space Companion cells Sieve-tube members

Sclerenchyma sheath

Epidermis with a cuticle 2 types mesophyll cells

Palisade parenchyma Spongy parenchyma

Parenchyma
Palisade: generally on the upper side of
chlorenchyma cells most responsible (tissue) for photosynthesis may be arranged in 2 5 rows leaf

Spongy:
-generally on the lower side of the leaf -- cells are irregularly shaped

Vein
Bundle sheath Xylem on adaxial side of vein Phloem on abaxial side of vein Sieve-tube members

Characterized: 2 cotyledons Net-veined leaves Flowering parts usually In multiples of four or five

COLLENCHYMA Collenchyma is closely related to parenchyma. Plastids are not well differentiated in collenchyma. They are well differentiated and obvious in parenchyma. Collenchyma always occurs just beneath the epidermis, while parenchyma occurs throughout the plant. Collenchyma cell walls are unevenly thickened. When the thickening occurs at the corners where cells are joined it is called angular.

One of 2 classes of angiosperms

Embryo has one cotyledon

Venation:parallel runs along the long axis of the leaf

Prepared slide of corn(Zea mays; Gramineae, grass family

Bundle sheath filled with chloroplasts surrounding each vein Epidermis Abaxial(upper) adaxial(lower)

Abaxial epidermis

Collenchyma cells (border major veins)

Stomatal apparatus Guard cells

Vegetative shoot apical meristems

The uppermost region of tissue initiation Size and shape of shoot apices varies in angiosperms. They can range from 80 um to 1500 um in diameter. Height is measured from the axil of the youngest leaf primordium. Shoot tip includes the apical meristem along with the subtending zone of leaf initiation. Staining density of cells and in perceived patterns of cell division allow for zonation seen in some plants.

Apical meristem:
Common features found in most shoot apices are the activemeristem which includes the tunica ,surrounded by the peripheral zone,central mother cells,pithrib meristem

hydrilla

Apical meristem

leaves

Axillary bud meristem

hydrilla

Tunica
Tunica is one or more superficial layers that shows only anticlinal divisions. There may be more than one layers of tunica.

The corpus is a group of cells covered by the tunica. It is characterized by divisions in many planes which add volume to the stem as its derivatives enlarge.

triticum
Shoot apical meristem

Root apical meristem

triticum

Syringa
Central mother cells are a basic feature of meristems. They are centrally located at the summit and include parts of the tunica and corpus.These cells are larger and more vacuolated than surrounding cells, therefore stain lighter.

tunica

Central mother cells

Zea mays stem shoot

Ginkgo shoot apex

References
Mauseth, James D. Plant Anatomy.Menlo Park,Benjamin Cummings ,1988. Raven,Peter H,et al.Biology of Plants.Ed.5,NewYork,Worth,1992.