21 Plant Organization Lab
Lab Objectives
At the conclusion of the lab, the student should be able to:
- List and give the major function of the three main types of plant tissues
- Identify a monocot versus a eudicot plant by observing either root, stem, leaf, or flowers
- Name and describe the various components and tissues within the root, both monocot and eudicot
- Name and describe the various components and tissues within the stem, both monocot and eudicot
- Name and describe the various components and tissues within the leaf, both monocot and eudicot
- Identify various examples of stem diversity
- Distinguish between simple and compound leaves
Download a PDF of the lab to print.
Angiosperms, or flowering plants are incredibly diverse. This group of plants contains between 250,000 and 400,000 different species. Although flowering plants are diverse in size, shape, color, and habitat, all angiosperms have the following four structures: the root, the stem, the leaf, and the flower. Each structure is comprised of one or more different types of tissues. In this lab activity we will learn more about angiosperm structures and tissues.
Angiosperm Tissues
Flowering plants contain three main types of tissues in the roots, stems, and leaves. Each tissue has a specific function as described below:
- Dermal tissue: protects the outside of the plant.
- Ground tissue: used for photosynthesis and storage. An internal plant tissue.
- Vascular tissue: used for transport of water and sugars. Xylem transports water and phloem transports sugars.
Unlike animals, angiosperms increase in size their entire life because of meristematic tissue. Meristematic tissue continues to divide and create new cells through photosynthesis, increasing the height and width of flowering plants. Plants have two types of meristems, as described below:
- Apical meristem: located at the tip of the shoot and the tip of the root. The apical meristem lengthens up and down. It is responsible for primary growth.
- Lateral meristem: located at branches to increase plant girth. It is responsible for secondary growth.
Angiosperm Body Plan
View the representative plants on display in the lab. Notice that the plants have aboveground and below-ground portions. The shoot system is aboveground. What components of the plan comprise the shoot system?
The root system is below ground. State two functions of plant roots.
Angiosperms are divided into two different groups, monocots and eudicots. These groups differ based on tissue organization in the seed, root, stem, leaf, and flowers. For example, monocots have leaf veins that form a parallel pattern and flower parts in multiples of threes. Eudicots have leaf veins in a net pattern and flower parts in multiples of fours or fives.
Using this information, identify the live plants on display as either monocots or eudicots using a table similar to the one below.
| Monocots | Eudicots |
|---|---|
Root
There are two main root arrangements. Most monocots have a