Ground Tissue Definition

There are three fundamental types of specialised (differentiated) tissues in vascular plants: dermal tissues, vascular tissues, and ground tissues.

A ground tissue is a type of plant tissue that is not found in the dermal or vascular tissues. It is produced by the ground meristem. It fills in the plant’s soft components, such as the cortex, pith, pericycle, and so on.

A ground tissue is made up of three different types of cells: parenchyma, sclerenchyma, and collenchyma cells. The nature, shape, and composition of the cell walls are used to classify these cells.

The main walls of parenchyma cells are rather thin. Even when they reach adulthood, the majority of them are still living. In ground tissues, they are the most frequent kind of filler cell.

They can be found in the cortex and pith of stems. They occupy the cortical area in roots.

They also make up the leaf mesophyll. Parenchymatous cells can also be found in the endosperm of seeds and the pulp of fruits. The parenchyma cells provide a number of purposes. Photosynthesis, storage, and secretion are just a few of their primary activities.

Collenchyma cells have a thicker main cell wall than other cells. In contrast, sclerenchyma cells have a secondary cell wall.

Sclerenchyma cells deposit a secondary cell wall between their primary cell wall and plasma membrane in addition to the primary cell wall. When they reach maturity, their walls are lignified and they are dead.

The plant’s structure is supported by both collenchyma and sclerenchyma cells. Sclerenchyma cells, on the other hand, are the primary supporting cells in many plants.