Download Vascular Plant Structure - Effingham County Schools

Vascular Plant Structure
What are three major structures of a vascular
plant?
What are the functions of...?
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Roots:

Absorb nutrients and moisture.

Anchor the plant in the soil.

Physical support for the stem.
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Serve as food storage organs.
Stems:
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Support buds and leaves.
Serve as conduit for carrying water, minerals, and
sugars.
Leaves:

Absorb sunlight for the manufacturing of plant
sugars
Cell Types
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Parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma

Parenchyma is the most common cell type.

Functions:

Conduct photosynthesis
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Stores starch, oils, and water for the plant.
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Also important for healing wounds of the plant; they
can divide throughout their entire lives.
EX: stem cuttings.
Parenchyma

Details: Thin cell walls and large water-filled
vacuoles in the middle.
Collenchyma

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Most common in the younger tissues of leaves
and shoots.
Functions:


Provide support for the plant, while still allowing it to
grow.
They are flexible.
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EX: As a young leaf grows, collenchyma cells can elongate,
giving the leaf structure.
Do not conduct photosynthesis.
Collenchyma

Details:

Cell walls range from thick to thin.

Often form into strands. EX: celery strings

Cells walls do not contain lignin, so they are
stretchy and can change size.
Comparing Parenchyma and
Collenchyma
Sclerenchyma
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This is the strongest cell type of the three.
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Functions:



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Found in parts of the plant that are no longer
growing.
Skeletal support for water-conducting tissues and
the plant itself.
These cell fibers are used to make linen and rope.
Form a major part of fruit pits and hard outer shells
of nuts.
Sclerenchyma

Details:

Have a second cell wall that is hardened by lignin.

Makes the cells very tough, durable, and rigid.

These cells are not able to grow with the plant.
Comparing all three
Vocabulary

enchyma: cellular tissue

Ex: parenchyma
para: beside
 coll: glue
 scler: hard
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