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2.3: Vascular tissues and cell types

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    47207
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    There are two vascular tissues in the vascular tissue system: xylem for water transport and phloem for transport of photosynthates.

    Xylem

    The xylem is a complex tissue containing a range of cell types including: vessel cells, tracheids, fibers, parenchyma

    2.3.1.1 Vessel members

    Large xylem vessel cells with thick red-stained lignified cell walls.
    Figure 2.8. Large xylem vessel cells with thick red-stained lignified cell walls. Xylem parenchyma adjacent to the cells have blue green cell walls (Sean Bellairs CC: attribute, share alike).
    Xylem vessel cells
    Figure 2.9. Xylem vessel cells with annular lignification in Coleus (left), annular and (centre) and reticulate lignification in corn (right). (Images by Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library (public domain); Sean Bellairs (CC: attribute, share alike); BlueRidgeKitties (CC attribute, share alike)).

    2.3.1.2 Tracheids

    Tracheids in tangential section in Quercus
    Tracheids in tangential section in Quercus
    Figure 2.10. Tracheids in tangential section in Quercus (oak). Long cells with oblique end walls and round pits in the walls are tracheids. Small round cells are lines of ray parenchyma with cellulose cell walls. Wide cell on lower right is a vessel cell. (Images: Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library, public domain).

    Phloem

    2.3.2.1 Sieve cells and companion cells

    Phloem tissue in LS
    Phloem tissue
    Figure 2.12. Phloem tissue in LS including sieve cells and companion cells (Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library, public domain). Diagram shows location of a narrow companion cell alongside a sieve cell and the sieve plate connecting two of the sieve cells (Sean Bellairs CC: attribute, share alike).

    Procambium cell development

    Development of a procambium cell
    Figure 2.12. Development of a procambium cell into various vascular tissue cell types. (Sean Bellairs CC: attribute, share alike).

    This page titled 2.3: Vascular tissues and cell types is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Sean Bellairs (Charles Darwin University) .

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