Young Plant Structure & Function

Corn Young Plant 

Bean Young Plant

Terminal bud: An undeveloped shoot that is located at the tip of the stem. This helps in the elongation of the main axis that helps the vertical growth of the plant. 

Node/Internode: The node is the part of the stem of the plant from which leaves, branches, and aerial roots emerge. The internode is the distance between each node. 

Axial buds: A bud that develops in the axil of a leaf of a plant. These buds develop from the nodes which then becomes a new stem. These buds can develop into a stem or flower. It is an embryonic shoot that lies at the junction of the stem and petiole of a plant.

Coleoptiles: A protective sheath enclosing the shoot tip and embryonic leaves of grasses. It protects the shoot tip and embryonic leaves.

Adventitious/tap root: Roots growing underground that lacks buds, leaves, or nodes. It absorbs water and mineral salts and usually anchors the plant to the ground.

Primary/lateral root: The primary root is the first root produced by a germinating seed, developing from the radicle of the embryo. Lateral roots extend horizontally from the primary root and serve to anchor the plant securely in the soil. 

Root hairs: Root hairs are a large number of microscopic outgrowths from the outer layer of cells in a root. The root hairs absorbs water and mineral salts in the soil. 

Leaf: The physical platform for the process of photosynthesis. The cells in the leaf contain chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll. The chlorophyll converts carbon dioxide into simple glucose sugars in the presence of sunlight. This food is used by the plant to grow and reproduce. 

Cuticle & Dermal Tissue: The cuticle tissues are a protective waxy covering produced only by the epidermal cells of leaves and young shoots. The cuticle tends to be thicker on the top leaves. It conserves water, reduces absorption of carbon dioxide by the plant and reduces transpiration. Dermal tissue is the protective outer layer of the plant. It is made up of dead parenchyma cells which makes up the outer bark in woody plants.