PLANT FORM, FUNCTION

AND REPRODUCTION
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the discussion, you will be able to
understand:
a. the different features of the plant;
b. how do plant grow and develop;
c. the different transport systems of plant;and
d. how do plant reproduce.
Things to Ponder:
• What do plants need to sustain growth?
• During your early education, you were
taught that plants grow from uptake of
water and nutrients from the soil,
supplied with the heat energy from the
sun, and aided with carbon dioxide.
PLANT CELLS AND TISSUES

Plants have specialized

cells and tissue
systems.
PLANT CELLS AND TISSUES
Plant tissues are made of three basic cell types.
Parenchyma cells are the most common
plant cell type.

• store starch, oils and water

• help heal wounds to the plant
• have thin flexible walls
PLANT CELLS AND TISSUES
• Collenchyma cells provide
support to a growing plant.
• they are strong and
flexible.
• celery strings are strands of
collenchyma.
• they have unevenly thick
cell walls.
PLANT CELLS AND TISSUES
• Sclerenchyma cells are the
strongest plant cell type.

• second cell wall hardened

by lignin
• die when they reach
maturity
• used by humans to make
linen and rope
PLANT CELLS AND TISSUES
Plant organs are made of three tissue systems.
⮚ Dermal tissue covers the ⮚ Ground tissue is found inside a
outside of a plant. plant.
• protects the plant • provides support
• secretes cuticle of leaves • stores materials in roots
• forms outer bark of trees and stems
• most commonly made of
parenchyma
PLANT CELLS AND TISSUES
stem
⮚ Vascular tissue transports
water, minerals and organic
compounds.
• two networks of hollow
leaf
tubes
• xylem transports water
and minerals
• phloem transports root

photosynthetic products
VASCULAR SYSTEM
The vascular system allows
for the transport of water,
minerals, and sugars.
VASCULAR SYSTEM
Water and dissolved minerals move through xylem.
Xylem contains specialized
tracheid
cells.
• vessel elements are short
and wide
• tracheid cells are long and vessel
element
narrow
• xylem cells die at maturity
VASCULAR SYSTEM
• The cohesion-tension theory explains water movement.
Plants passively transport water through the xylem.
- Cohesion is the tendency of water molecules to bond with each other.

– Adhesion is the
tendency of
water molecules
to bond with
other substances.
VASCULAR SYSTEM
• Water travels from roots to the top of trees.
⮚ absorption occurs at roots
⮚ Cohesion and adhesion in xylem
⮚ Transpiration at leaves
VASCULAR SYSTEM
• Transpiration is the loss of water
vapor through leaves.
• water vapor exits leaf stomata
• helps pull water to the top
branches
VASCULAR SYSTEM
Phloem carries sugars from
photosynthesis throughout the plant.
• Phloem contains specialized cells.
• sieve tube elements have holes at
ends
• companion cells help sieve tube
elements
• unlike xylem, phloem tissue is alive
VASCULAR SYSTEM
• The Pressure-flow model explains sugar movement.

2 Water moves from

1 Sugars move from their the xylem into the
source, such as phloem by osmosis,
photosynthesizing due to the higher
leaves, into the phloem. concentration of the
sugars in the phloem.
The water flow helps
move sugars through
the phloem.
3 The sugars move into
the sink, such as root
or fruit, where the are
stored.
ROOTS AND STEM
Roots and stems form the support system of vascular plants.
ROOTS AND STEM
Roots anchor plants and absorb mineral nutrients
from soil.
Roots provide many
functions.
• support the plant
• absorb, transport,
and store nutrients
• root hairs help
absorption
ROOTS AND STEM
• There are several parts of a root.
– root cap covers the tip

root cap
ROOTS AND STEM
• There are several parts of a root.
– root cap covers the tip
– apical meristem is an area
of growth

apical meristem
ROOTS AND STEM
• There are several parts of a root.
– root cap covers the tip
– apical meristem is an area
of growth vascular cylinder

- vascular cylinder contains

xylem and phloem
ROOTS AND STEM
There are two main types
of roots.
• Fibrous root systems
have fine branches.

• Taproot systems have

one main root.

Fibrous root Taproot

ROOTS AND STEM
ROOTS AND STEM
Stems support plants, transport materials, and
provide storage.
Stems have many functions.
• support leaves and flowers
• house most of the vascular system
• store water

Baobab trees
ROOTS AND STEM
Stems support plants, transport materials, and
provide storage.
• grow
underground
for storage

Ginger rhizomes Potato tubers

ROOTS AND STEM
Stems support plants, transport materials, and
provide storage.
• form new plants
ROOTS AND STEM
Some stems are herbaceous and
conduct photosynthesis.
ROOTS AND STEM

Some stems can be woody, and

form protective bark.
ROOTS AND STEM

• Primary growth increases

a plant’s length.

• Secondary growth
increases a plant’s width.
 bands bark

heartwood
Tree rings help
determine the one year
of growth
sapwood

age of a tree.
LEAVES
Leaves absorb light and carry out
photosynthesis.
LEAVES
Most leaves share some similar structures.
The blade is usually broad and flat.
blade
• collects sunlight for
photosynthesis
• connects to the stem by a petiole

petiole
LEAVES
cuticle

upper
epidermis
palisade
mesophyll

spongy
mesophyll

lower
epidermis
LEAVES
• Guard cells surround each stoma.
• Stomata open and close when guard cells change shape.
• When stomata are open, water evaporates and gas exchanges.
• Stomata close at night and when plant loses too much water.

guard cells stoma

LEAVES
Leaves may be simple, compound, or double compound.

Simple leaf Compound leaf Double compound leaf

LEAVES
Leaf veins may be parallel or pinnate.

Parallel veins Pinnate veins

LEAVES
Leaf margins may be toothed, entire, or lobed.

Toothed Entire margin Lobed margin

margin
PLANT REPRODUCTION

ASEXUAL SEXUAL

- Does not involve the fusion of - Involves fusion of sex cells to

gametes. form zygote.
- Requires only one parent. - Requires two parents.
- Offspring are genetically - Offsprings show variations.
identical to parents. - Transmission of
- Offsprings are clones. characteristics.
PLANT REPRODUCTION
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN PLANTS MAY BE:

NATURAL: ARTIFICIAL:
Vegetative Reproduction Vegetative Propagation
- Rhizome - Cutting
- Bulb - Budding and Grafting
- Corn - Tissue Culture
- Runner/stolon
- Tuber
PLANT REPRODUCTION

VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION

- Type of reproduction in plants from its vegetative parts or

specialized reproductive structures.
PLANT REPRODUCTION
1. Tuber
New shoots arise from axillary bud on swollen,
short, fleshy, underground stem.
PLANT REPRODUCTION
2. Runner
• Also called as stolons
• New plants arise at nodes of above – ground
horizontal stem.
PLANT REPRODUCTION
3. Corms
New plants arise from very
short, thickened,
underground stem with thin,
scaly leaves.
PLANT REPRODUCTION
4. Rhizomes
New plants arise at nodes
of underground horizontal
rootlike stem.
PLANT REPRODUCTION
5. Bulb
New bulbs arise from axillary
bud on very short stem with
thick fleshy leaves (only in
monocots).
 Artificial Propagation Method
• It is often faster than growing plants from seeds.
• This method involves a little help from human by using a
piece of plant material.
1. Cutting
Leaves or pieces of stems
or roots are cut from one
plant, planted in soil and
used to grow new
individuals.
Budding and Grafting
• Small stems from one plant are
attached to larger stems or roots of
another plant.
 Tissue Culture
• Pieces of tissues from one plant are placed on a
sterile medium and used to grow new individuals
in mass numbers.
 Sexual
Reproduction
Hermaphrodites
• Has both male and female sex organs
Parts of a Flower
Male Organs
1. Stamen – male reproductive part
2. Anther – makes pollen grains
3. Filament – holds up the anther
Female Organs
1. Pistil – female reproductive part.
2. Stigma – top part of the carpel
3. Style – joins the stigma and the ovary
4. Ovary – contains the female sex cells
• Sepal- one of the modified leaves.
• Petal- one of the soft, colorful
parts of a flower.
• receptacle- the end part of the
flower stalk upon which the floral
organs are born.
• Peduncle- a stalk bearing s
flower.
Pollination
• Transfer of pollen grains from the stamen to the stigma
of a flower.
• It has two types: Self pollination and Cross pollination.
Self Pollination

- Occurs when pollen is

carried from the stamen to the
stigma of the same plant.
Cross Pollination

- Occurs when pollen is

carried to the stigma of
another plant.
Agents of Pollination
• Wind
• Water
• Bees
• Bats
• Birds
Important
Concepts
Pollen tube – a pollen that grows into the stigma, down the
style and into the ovary.
Fruit – a swollen and ripe ovary which contains one or many
seeds.
Seed – a reproductive structure in which a plant embryo and a
food source is contained.
Seed Coat – a strong tissue that protects and surrounds a
seed.
Seed Dispersal – process wherein the seeds together with its
fruit are carried away from the parent plant.
Germination – a process in which a new plant grows from a
seed.
Plant Embryo – tiny plant, which is the youngest stage of plant
growth.
PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Plant growth, from seed germination to maturity, involves a
combination of cellular responses and molecular
interaction.