PLANT ORGAN SYSTEM

Structure, Function, Transport, Nutrition, and Reproduction

PLANTS
• Multicellular eukaryotic organisms belonging to Domain
Eukarya and Kingdom Plantae
• Ability to create its own food (autotroph)
• Lack locomotive movement

✓ cell wall
✓ vacuole
✓ chloroplast
VASCULAR PLANTS
plants with transport tubes – with stems (xylem and
phloem), roots, and leaves

NON-VASCULAR PLANTS
plants that do not have transport tubes
BASIC VASCULAR PLANT
ORGANS
Shoot
system
ROOTS LEAVES STEMS

• Through these organs, vascular plants are able

to obtain the nutrients and resources they need
from below and above the ground. Root
system
• Vascular plants rely on the shoot and root
systems for survival.
 ROOTS
✓ anchors a vascular plant in the soil
✓ absorbs minerals and water
✓ stores carbohydrates and other
reserves needed by plants

• Primary root – originates from the

germinating seed (first root)
• Lateral roots – branches of the
primary root
• Taproot – tall plants’ vertical root
developed from primary root;
prevents unsteadiness and
imbalance of big trees; allows
plants to grow taller
Types of Root Systems
• One thick, vertical root
• Many lateral (branch)
roots
• Firmly anchors
• Stores food

• Mat of thin roots spread just

below surface
• Shallow
• Increased surface area
7
 STEMS
✓ bear leaves and flowers
✓ elongates and orient the shoot in a
way that leaves can maximize
photosynthesis
✓ facilitates the dispersal of pollen
and fruit
✓ food storage
✓ asexual reproduction

• Nodes – points at which leaves are

attached
• Internodes – stem segments
between nodes
 LEAVES
✓ main photosynthetic organ
✓ Exchange gases with the
atmosphere
✓ dissipate heat
✓ defends plants from herbivores and
pathogens

• Blade
• Petiole – joins a leaf to the stem at a
node
 blade

LEAF ANATOMY petiole

LEAVES
Phyllotaxy refers to the pattern formation
or the arrangement of leaves on a stem.
Leaf Venation refers to the patterns of veins in
the leaves.

Pinnate Palmate Parallel

PLANT TISSUES
• All vascular plant organs (roots, stems,
leaves) are composed of three
fundamental types of tissues.

DERMAL VASCULAR

GROUND
 DERMAL
DERMALTISSUES

• Thin layer of cells acting as an outer

protective covering of the plant
• first line of defense against physical
damage and pathogens
• Epidermis and Periderm
STRUCTURES IN THE EPIDERMAL LAYER
CUTICLE
• a thin, waxy coating of the epidermis
in stems and leaves which prevents
water loss

STOMA (STOMATA)
• surrounded by two bean-shaped
guard cells that permit gaseous
exchange between the atmosphere
and the interior of a leaf

TRICHOMES
• Hair-like structures that reduces the
evaporation of water
• usually found in roots
VASCULAR TISSUES

• facilitate the transport of materials

through the plant
• Provide mechanical support

bundles of
xylem and
phloem
Arrangement of vascular tissue
• Monocots - xylem and phloem scattered throughout stem
• Dicots - xylem and phloem in a circle that form a ring
 GROUND TISSUE

• In charge of photosynthesis, storage,

and secretion
• found throughout the plant
• Any part of the plant that is neither
vascular nor dermal tissues
 CELL TYPES IN PLANTS
Tissue Main Components Main Functions
Simple Tissues
Parenchyma Parenchyma cells Photosynthesis, storage, secretion, tissue repair

Collenchyma Collenchyma cells Pliable structural support

Sclerenchyma Fibers or sclereids Structural Support
Complex Tissues
Epidermis (dermal) Epidermal cells and their secretions Secretion of cuticle; protection; control of gas
exchange and water loss
Periderm (dermal) Cork cambium; cork cells; parenchyma Forms protective cover on older stems, roots
Xylem (vascular) Tracheids; vessel elements; parenchyma Water-conducting tubes; structural support
cells; sclerenchyma cells
Phloem (vascular) Sieve elements, parenchyma cells; Sugar-counducting tubes and their supporting cells
sclerenchyma cells
PLANT GROWTH
Plants keep growing because they have meristems
which are undifferentiated tissues containing cells that
can divide and produce new cells that elongate and
become differentiated.

APICAL LATERAL
MERISTEMS MERISTEMS
APICAL
MERISTEMS
- Located in roots and shoot tips
- Provide plants with cells that
enable primary growth (grow in
length)
- Primary growth allows roots to
extend throughout the soil and
shoots to increase exposure to
sunlight
LATERAL
MERISTEMS
- enables secondary growth (growth in
thickness)

VASCULAR CAMBIUM
- adds vascular tissue known as
secondary xylem and secondary
phloem
CORK CAMBIUM
- replaces the epidermis with the thicker,
tougher periderm
PRIMARY Epidermis
Cortex Vascular cylinder

GROWTH OF Key
ROOTS
Zone of
Root hair maturation
Dermal
Ground
Zone of Cell Division Vascular
- includes stem cells of the root
apical meristem and their
immediate products
- region where new root cells are Zone of
elongation
produced including cells of the
root cap
Zone of Elongation
- where most of the growth
occurs as root cells elongate Apical Zone of cell
Zone of Differentiation meristem division

- zone of maturation, where cells Root cap

complete their differentiation and
become distinct cell types
100 µm
PRIMARY GROWTH OF STEMS
• A stem is covered by an
epidermis that is usually one
cell layer thick covered with a
waxy cuticle that prevents
water loss
• Ground tissue of stems is
mostly composed of
parenchyma cells.
• Collenchyma cells strengthen
many stems during primary
growth
• Sclerenchyma cells provide
support in parts of the stems
that are no longer elongating
PRIMARY GROWTH OF LEAVES
• Leaves develop from leaf
primordia
• Secondary growth is
minor or non-existent
• Stomata allows exchange
of carbon dioxide and
oxygen between the
surrounding air and the
photosynthetic cells inside
the leaf.
 Primary and secondary growth Secondary phloem
in a two-year-old stem Vascular cambium
Late wood Cork
Secondary cambium Periderm
xylem Early wood
Cork
Epidermis
Cortex Pith
Primary Primary xylem
phloem Vascular cambium Transverse section
Primary phloem of a three-year-
Vascular old Tilia (linden)
cambium Cortex Xylem ray stem (LM)
Epidermis Bark
Primary
xylem Phloem ray
Pith Xylem 0.5 mm 0.5 mm
ray

Primary
xylem
Secondary xylem
Vascular cambium

Primary and
Secondary phloem
Primary phloem
Cork
First cork cambium

Secondary Growth
Periderm
(mainly cork
cambia
and cork)

Primary
phloem
Secondary
phloem
Secondary
of a Stem
Vascular xylem (two
cambium years of
production)
Secondary
xylem Vascular cambium
Secondary phloem
Primary Bark
xylem Most recent
cork cambium Layers of
Pith
Cork periderm
UPTAKE AND TRANSPORT
OF NUTRIENTS IN PLANTS
In photosynthesis, CO2 is Sugars are produced by the
taken up and O2 is released photosynthesis in the leaves.
through the stomata of leaves
and green stems.

Transpiration creates a force

within leaves that pulls xylem
sap upward.

Phloem sap can flow both

ways between shoots and
roots. It moves from sites of
sugar production or storage to
Water and minerals are sites of sugar use or storage.
transported upward from roots
to shoots as xylem sap.

Roots take in oxygen and

discharge carbon dioxide. They
need sunlight for warm
Water and minerals in the soil temperature. These are needed
are absorbed by the roots. for them to gather water and
minerals.
REPRODUCTION IN
FLOWERING
PLANTS