Plant Anatomy & Physiology: Recap

What is plant anatomy?

• ANATOMY: study of the structure of

organisms… looking at cells, tissues.

What is plant physiology?

•PHYSIOLOGY: study of the function of cells,
tissues, organs of living things;

and the physics/chemistry of these functions…

The Four Basic Organs of Plants

○ Leaves

○ Stems

○ Roots

○ Flowers

Leaves

○ Functions

○ Make food through

photosynthesis

○ Site of gas exchange

○ Oxygen move out of the

plant

○ Carbon Dioxide move

into the plant

○ Stores food

Stems

○ Functions

○ Movement of nutrients

○ Support leaves & reproductive structures

○ Food storage

Roots

○ Functions

○ Anchor the plant

○ Absorb water & minerals

○ Store food

○ Propagate or reproduce

some plants

Flowers vs Cones

○ Cones can be male

or female

○ Flowers can be male,

female, or both.

male

male

female

both

female

PLANTS CANNOT

HAVE BOTH FLOWERS

AND CONES!

Flowers

○ Function

○ Contain the sexual

organ for the plant.

○ Produces fruit.
○ Attracts insects for

pollination.

Fruits

○ Functions

○ Contains the seeds of the plant, which is how

the plant reproduces.

○ Entices animals to eat fruit and spread seeds.

Plant Tissues

What is a tissue?

○ A tissue is a group of cells that are specialized

to perform a very specific function.

Ground Tissue

○ Responsible for

structure and
carbohydrate (sugar)
storage.

○ Found between the

vascular and dermal
tissue in a plant.

Vascular Tissue

○ Responsible for

internal water and
nutrient transport
for the plant.

Vascular Tissue - Specific Structures

○ Xylem

○ Responsible for

transporting
water & nutrients
up- from roots to
stems & leaves.

○ Phloem

○ Tissue that

transports food
down- from
leaves to roots.

Dermal Tissue

○ Protect the more

sensitive tissue layers of
plant, and is primarily
found in the leaves of the
plant.

○ Responsible for

photosynthesis.

○ Mostly found in the

leaves of a plant.

Specialized Cells in Dermal Tissue

○ Stomata/Stoma

○ Responsible for gas

exchange needed for
photosynthesis and cellular
respiration.

○ Guard Cells

○ Two cells located on each

side of stomata

○ Open and closes stomata

Stomata

Guard Cell

Dermal Tissue - Specific Structures

Root Hairs

○ Tiny one celled

hair-like extensions of
the epidermal cells
located near the tips
of roots.

○ Increase surface

area.

○ Absorb water &

minerals.

Meristematic Tissue

○ Responsible for the

production of new cells via a
process called mitosis.

○ We’ll learn more about mitosis

more later…

○ Meristematic tissues are

found:

○ Near the tip of the roots and

stems

Meristematic Tissue - Specific Structures

Cambium

○ Produces new xylem and phloem.

○ Responsible for secondary growth in the plant (plants

getting wider).

Meristematic Tissue - Specific Structures

Root Cap

○ Protects the sensitive

meristematic tissue of the
root.

○ Indicates growth of new roots.