medium difficulty4 min

Plant Tissues — Permanent

Permanent tissues are plant tissues whose cells have usually lost the power of division and are specialised for particular functions.

In one line: Xylem gives water; phloem gives food.

Practice This Concept

Understand it

Simple permanent tissues include parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma. Complex permanent tissues include xylem and phloem, which contain more than one cell type and perform transport.

Example

Xylem carries water and minerals from roots to other parts, while phloem transports prepared food from leaves.

Rule to remember

Classification rule: simple permanent tissue has one main type of cell; complex permanent tissue has different cell types working together.

See it worked out

Follow the example line by line, then use the same method on new questions.

Worked example

If a ring of bark containing phloem is removed from a stem, food transport downward is affected, showing that phloem carries food.

Method you can reuse

Identify whether the tissue mainly stores, supports, strengthens, or transports; then name the tissue and add one location.

Sketch it in your answer

Use labelled sketches of parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma, and a flow diagram showing xylem for water and phloem for food.

Check yourself

Answer the question in your head before opening the answer.

Try it yourself

Why are xylem and phloem called complex tissues?

Think first, then show answer

Xylem and phloem are called complex tissues because each is made of more than one kind of cell working together for transport.

Common wrong answer

Writing 'phloem transports water'.

Why it loses marks: Phloem mainly transports food prepared by leaves.

Don't mix this up

Students often mix xylem and phloem functions or write that all permanent tissues are dead.

Exam tip

For comparison answers, write tissue name, cell nature, location, and function in columns.