2.1 Development of a plant

The apical meristem produces new cells by cell division. These small squat cells divide and expand in size. They then differentiate into all the various cell types of the plant.

The great variety of cell types in a plant can be divided into three broad tissue systems: the dermal, vascular and ground tissue systems.

2.1.1 Tissue systems

Figure 2.1.a. Tissue systems in a leaf (micrograph)

Figure 2.1.b. Tissue systems in a leaf (diagram)

Figure 2.1.c. Herbaceous Dicot Stem: Younger Trifolium (micrograph)

Figure 2.1.d. Herbaceous Dicot Stem: Younger Trifolium (diagram)
Figures 2.1.a-d. Diagrams showing the three tissue systems: dermal (dark brown), ground (green) and vascular (blue) in a leaf (top), stem (left) and root (right). Lignified cells have red cell walls and cells with primary growth have blue/green cell walls.

2.1.2 Meristems and growth

Figure 2.2. Apical meristem of Coleus.
Figure 2.2. Apical meristem of Coleus. A and I = Procambium, B = Ground meristem, C=Leaf gap, D = Trichome, E = Apical meristem, F = Developing leaf primordia, G = Leaf Primordium, H = Axillary bud. Scale bar bottom right = 0.2mm.

 

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