Aquatic Monocot Stem: Dermal Tissues in Elodea
cross section: Elodea stem
common name water weed
magnification: 100x
Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library
Submerged hydrophytes like Elodea show numerous adaptations to an aquatic life. Notably there are no internal support tissues like collenchyma or sclerenchyma. The stem is entirely support by the water.
The epidermis is uniseriate and photosynthetic with a thin to non-existent cuticle and scattered stomata.
The bulk of the stem is occupied by a cortex that consists of a narrow outer zone of densely packed parenchyma cells and a large inner zone of aerenchyma with large radially arranged air pockets. The cells of the entire cortex contain abundant chloroplasts.
Vascular tissues are limited to the central stele and show no clear differentiation into xylem and phloem. In some specimens a single xylem vessel may be seen in the center of the stele.
A large air cavity occupies the center of the stele.
Technical Questions:bioimagesoer@gmail.com
Aquatic Monocot Stem: Dermal Tissues in Elodea
cross section: Elodea stem
common name water weed
magnification: 100x
Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image Library
Submerged hydrophytes like Elodea show numerous adaptations to an aquatic life. Notably there are no internal support tissues like collenchyma or sclerenchyma. The stem is entirely support by the water.
The epidermis is uniseriate and photosynthetic with a thin to non-existent cuticle and scattered stomata.
The bulk of the stem is occupied by a cortex that consists of a narrow outer zone of densely packed parenchyma cells and a large inner zone of aerenchyma with large radially arranged air pockets. The cells of the entire cortex contain abundant chloroplasts.
Vascular tissues are limited to the central stele and show no clear differentiation into xylem and phloem. In some specimens a single xylem vessel may be seen in the center of the stele.
A large air cavity occupies the center of the stele.
Technical Questions:bioimagesoer@gmail.com