How Do Plants Stand? Nature’s secret scaffolding revealed.

Quick Guess

Diagnostic question – identify the key support element.

Question

Which part mainly keeps a sunflower upright?

1
Roots
2
Tissues
3
Flowers
4
Fruits

Hint:

Think internal structure.

Inside a Plant Stem

Lignin-stiffened tissues keep the stem upright.

Cross-section photo of stem showing thick-walled cells
Cross-section: lignified cell walls and vascular bundles provide support.

Rigid cell walls contain lignin.

Thick, lignin-rich walls act like armour, resisting bending.

Bundles form sturdy tissue.

Lignified cells pack into vascular and supportive bundles that brace the stem.

Tissue Definition

Tissue

A tissue is a group of structurally similar cells that work together to perform a specific function.

It always involves many cells acting in unison, never a single cell.

Source: NCERT Class 11 Biology p.70

Plant vs Animal Tissues

Term

Plant vs Animal Tissues

Definition

Plant tissues are rigid; most mature cells stop dividing except in meristems. Animal tissues are flexible; many cells keep dividing for growth and repair.

  • Rigid walls (plant)
  • Flexible cells (animal)
  • Division: limited vs frequent

Remember: name one rigidity and one division difference.

Classification Overview

Two kingdoms, many tissue types.

Plant tissues: meristematic (actively dividing) and permanent (mature, functional). Animal tissues: epithelial (covering), connective (support), muscular (movement) and nervous (control). Use this list to categorise any tissue you meet.

Source: NCERT Class 11 Biology p.71

Plant Tissue Map

Trace meristematic, permanent, simple and complex tissues.

Plant Tissues Meristematic Permanent Simple Complex

Reading the map

  • Start at Plant Tissues.
  • Two main kinds: Meristematic (dividing) and Permanent (differentiated).
  • Permanent splits into Simple and Complex.

Tip: Recite the path aloud to check you can trace all four categories unaided.

Multiple Choice Question

Question

Parenchyma is classified as:

1
Meristematic
2
Simple permanent
3
Complex permanent
4
Protective

Hint:

Think basic permanent tissue.

Meristematic vs Permanent

Contrast cell division, wall thickness, and vacuoles.

Meristematic tissue

  1. Cells actively divide; drive growth.
  2. Walls thin, only primary cellulose.
  3. Vacuoles absent or minute.

Permanent tissue

  1. Cells mature; generally non-dividing.
  2. Walls thickened or lignified; varies with type.
  3. Large central vacuole present.

Similarities

  • Both consist of plant cells with cell walls and cytoplasm.
  • Permanent tissues originate from meristematic cells.
  • Serve the plant’s growth and survival in different stages.

Tip: Identify tissue by activity—dividing zones are meristematic; specialised, thick-walled zones are permanent.

Animal Tissue Snapshot

Goal: identify the four basic tissue types.

Epithelial Connective Muscular Nervous
Diagram: Four panels highlight epithelial, connective, muscular and nervous tissues.

What the image shows

Each panel represents one major animal tissue group.

  • Epithelial – packed cells form protective sheets lining organs.
  • Connective – cells in matrix join, support; bone, blood, cartilage.
  • Muscular – contractile fibres create movement.
  • Nervous – neurons transmit fast electrical signals.

Tip: Blood is a fluid connective tissue containing cells like erythrocytes.

Connective Tissue Functions

Summarise the three key roles.

  1. 1

    Support

    Bone and cartilage form a rigid framework that keeps body shape.

  2. 2

    Transport

    Blood circulates nutrients, gases, and wastes throughout the body.

  3. 3

    Defence

    Lymph and white blood cells attack and remove pathogens.

Tip: Remember, not all connective tissues are rigid—blood and lymph are fluid examples.

Match Tissue & Function

Drag each tissue to its correct function box.

Draggable Items

Epithelial
Xylem
Muscle
Bone

Drop Zones

Protection

Transport water

Movement

Support

Tip:

Start with the most obvious pair, then complete the rest.

Key Takeaways

Quick recap of tissue concepts.

1

Definition

Tissues are clusters of similar cells acting together.

2

Plant tissues

Meristematic drive growth; permanent handle mature functions.

3

Animal tissues

Epithelial, connective, muscular, nervous—protect, support, move, control.

4

Structural support

Lignified walls or extracellular matrix give tissues strength.