Cells and Tissues of the Plant Body
Vascular plant bodies are made up pf three tissue systems. The ground tissue system is made up of cells that are much like the cells of the green algae from which plants evolved. These cells are involved in cell division, photosynthesis and storage. The dermal tissue system evolved in response to life on land. It is made up of cells that form a barrier between the inside and the outside of the plant that limits dehydration. The vascular tissue system evolved in response to the challenges encountered as plants gained stature on land. Mosses and liverworts are successfully adapted to life on land without vascular tissue, but do not grow tall. Vascular tissues are involved in the movement of water up and photosynthate through the plant, and provides the plant with support.
Link to general botany collection of images
Three Primary Tissue Systems as Viewed in a Herbaceous Eudicot Stem
View of Coleus stem with three primary tissue systems indicated
View of Medicago stem: view of three primary tissue systems
Dermal Tissue System
View of epidermis of Coleus - trichomes
View of epidermis of Medicago - stoma
View of Coleus stem cross section: Regions of ground tissue indicated
View of parenchyma in the pith stained with iodine
View of Coleus Stem: Collenchyma in cortex at ribs
View of comparison of fresh Coleus collenchyma vs. dehydrated Medicago tissue
View of Coleus stem cross section: vascular bundle - xylem and phloem indicated
View of Medicago Stem: labelled vascular bundle
View of Medicago stem: transect with xylem and phloem labelled
View of Xylem tissue of Medicago
View of Fascicular Cambium of Medicago
View of Interfascicular Cambium of Medicago
Fibers of Tilia (basswood) bark
Vascular Tissue - Cucurbita Stem Tissue
View of Prepared Slide
Phloem
Cross sections
View of phloem tissue 100x
View of phloem tissue - sieve-plate
View of Phloem Tissue 1000x
View of Longitudinal Sections of Sieve-Tube
Xylem
Cross sections: View of Vascular Bundle 100x
Longitudinal sections
View of three types of secondary wall thickenings
Protoxylem
View of annular secondary wall thickenings
View of helical secondary wall thickenings
Metaxylem
View of pitted secondary wall thickenings