Cellular Differentiation and Specialization in Plants 4.2 – Plant Tissue Systems Cellular Differentiation and Specialization in Plants Meristematic cells are undifferentiated plant cells that can form any kind of specialized tissue. Meristematic cells are located at the tips of roots and shoots and in the stems of woody plants. Mitosis in plant cells occurs in the meristem region.

Tissue Systems in Plants There are three main types of plant tissue systems: 1) Dermal tissue system 2) Vascular tissue system 3) Ground tissue system

Dermal Tissue System Dermal tissue system: the tissues covering the outer surface of the plant Dermal tissue includes both epidermal tissue or epidermis (thin layer of cells covering surface of leaves, stems, and roots) and periderm tissue (forms bark on stems and large roots).

Vascular Tissue System Vascular tissue system: the tissues responsible for conducting materials within a plant The plant’s vascular tissue system transports water, minerals, and other chemicals around the plant. There are two types of vascular tissue: 1) Xylem 2) Phloem

Xylem transports water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots. Phloem transports sugars produced by photosynthesis from the leaves to the stems and roots. The phloem also transports other dissolved nutrients and hormones throughout the plant.

Ground Tissue System Ground tissue system: all plant tissues other than those that make up the dermal and vascular tissue systems Ground tissues perform a variety of functions: In the green parts of the plant, they manufacture nutrients by the process of photosynthesis In the roots, they store carbohydrates In the stems, they provide storage and support