Vascular Tissue in Plants

Overview

• Vascular tissue is a complex transporting tissue in vascular plants.
• Primary components include xylem and phloem.
• Vascular tissue system includes all vascular tissues in a plant.
• Associated meristems: vascular cambium and cork cambium.

Structure and Function

• Cells: Long and slender, similar to pipes, for transporting water, minerals, and nutrients.
• Vascular bundles: Include xylem, phloem, supporting, and protective cells.
  • Arrangement: In stems and roots, xylem is closer to the interior, phloem is towards the exterior.
  • Some dicots have inward phloem from the xylem.

Growth

• Vascular cambium: Between xylem and phloem, producing new xylem and phloem, increasing plant girth.
• Wood growth: In trees, allows expansion of vascular tissue for wood.
• Cork cambium: Develops among the phloem, producing cork cells for protection and reducing water loss.
• Secondary growth: Includes wood and cork production.

Leaf Structure

• Vascular bundles located among spongy mesophyll in leaves.
• Orientation: Xylem towards the adaxial (upper) surface, phloem towards the abaxial (lower) surface.
• Aphids target phloem on the leaf's underside due to sugar transport.

Related Topics

• Xylem and Phloem: Key components of vascular tissue.
• Cork and Vascular Cambium: Important for growth and protection.
• Vascular Plant and Stele: Related to overall plant structure.
• Circulatory System: A comparison in animals.

Additional Resources

• External links for plant structure diagrams.
• References to further reading on plant tissues and botany.

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