Plant
Systems
Plant Systems

There are two distinguishing features of plants:
1. Green in colour – caused by chlorophyll
2. Have structures (usually roots) to anchor them in place

Plants make their own food by photosynthesis


This means they do not need to move around in search of food
They also do not need complicated organ systems found in
animals
Plant Systems
 Plants
do need to perform many of the same functions
as animals:



exchange gases with their surroundings
an internal transportation system to move water and
nutrients around their body
to reproduce
Plant Systems
 The
plant is divided into two main “body systems”:
Plant Systems
 The
plant is divided into two main “body systems”:
Plant Systems
1. Root System
 Below ground
 Anchors plant
 Made up of one or more separate
roots
 Can spread underground to a very
large area
 Absorbs water and minerals from the
soil (done by root hairs)
 Stores food
Plant Systems
2. Shoot system
 Above ground
 Two main functions:
a) Photosynthesis (for food)
b) To produce flowers (for reproduction)
 Made up of the leaf, flower, and stem
Plant Systems
2. Shoot system
a) The Leaf
 Main photosynthetic structure of plant
 Photosynthesis is done by the chloroplast
 Chloroplasts contain flat, disc-like structures called thylakoids
 Thylakoids are arranged in stacks called grana
 Grana act as solar collectors
 Gases enter the leaf through the stomata
 Have a waxy layer called a cuticle that protects the leaf from
drying out
Plant Systems
2. Shoot system
b) The Flower
 Used for sexual reproduction – there are male and
female parts
 Reproduction occurs by pollination
 Seeds are formed, which are stored in a fruit
Plant Systems
2. Shoot system
c) The Stem
 Supports branches, leaves, and flowers and provides a
way to transport materials
 Transports materials by vascular tissues
Plant
Tissue
Systems
Plant Tissue Systems
cells start as Meristematic Cells –
undifferentiated plant cells that can divide and
differentiate to form specialized cells (“plant” stem
cells).
 Plant

Found near the tips of roots/stems
 Plants
have three tissue systems: dermal, vascular, and
ground
Plant Tissue Systems
1. Dermal Tissue System (skin)
 covers the entire outer surface of the plant – leaves,
roots, stems, etc
 can be either:
a) Epidermal tissue - a thin layer of cells covering
the surface of leaves, stems, and roots
b) Periderm tissue – in woody plants, it replaces
the epidermal tissue by forming bark on stems and
large roots
Plant Tissue Systems
2. Vascular Tissue System (veins)
 found within every root, shoot, and leaf of the plant
 Is a transportation system: moves water, minerals, and other
chemicals around the plant
 Two types:
a) Xylem – made up of elongated cells that are not living
- transports water and dissolved minerals upward
from the roots
b) Phloem - made up of elongated cells that are living
– transports food materials and hormones
throughout the plant (upward or downward)
Plant Tissue Systems
3. Ground Tissue System (everything else)
 all other internal tissues in the root, stem, and leaves
 filter between the dermal and vascular tissues
 perform a variety of functions
Plant Tissue Systems
Plant Tissue Systems