Summary

Anatomically, a plant is made up of different kinds of tissues. The plant tissues are broadly classified into meristematic tissues, which include apical, lateral and intercalary meristems, and permanent tissues, which may be simple or complex. The main functions performed by these tissues are the assimilation of food and its storage, the transportation of water, minerals and photosynthates, and the provision of mechanical support.

There are three tissue systems in a flowering plant, namely the epidermal, the ground and the vascular systems.

• The epidermal tissue system is made up of epidermal cells, stomata and the epidermal appendages.
• The ground tissue system forms the main bulk of the plant. It is divided into three zones, the cortex, the pericycle and the pith.
• The vascular tissue system is formed by the xylem and the phloem. On the basis of the presence of cambium and the location of xylem and phloem, the vascular bundles are of different types. The vascular bundles form the conducting tissue and translocate water, minerals and food material. …