Vessel elementA vessel element or vessel member (also called a xylem vessel) is one of the cell types found in xylem, the water conducting tissue of plants. Vessel elements are found in most angiosperms (flowering plants) and in some gymnosperms such as cycads and Ephedra, but absent in conifers. Vessel elements are the main feature distinguishing the "hardwood" of angiosperms from the "softwood" of conifers.
XylemXylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem; both of these are part of the vascular bundle. The basic function of the xylem is to transport water upward from the roots to parts of the plants such as stems and leaves, but it also transports nutrients. EtymologyThe word xylem is derived from the Ancient Greek word (xúlon), meaning "wood"; the best-known xylem tissue is wood, though it is found throughout a plant.
LigninLignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form key structural materials in the support tissues of most plants. Lignins are particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, because they lend rigidity and do not rot easily. Chemically, lignins are polymers made by the cross-linking of phenolic precursors.
WoodFibrous material from trees or other plantsWood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. Being a natural material, it is characterized as an organic material – a natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin and hemicelluloses that resists compression.
Vascular plantVascular plants (from Latin 'duct'), also called tracheophytes (UK: , US: ) or collectively Tracheophyta (; from Ancient Greek (trakheîa artēría)'windpipe' and (phutá)'plants'), are plants that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified tissue (the phloem) to conduct products of photosynthesis. The group includes most land plants (c. 300,000 accepted known species) excluding mosses.
TranspirationTranspiration is the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers. It is a passive process that requires no energy expense by the plant. Transpiration also cools plants, changes osmotic pressure of cells, and enables mass flow of mineral nutrients.
Pit (botany)Pits in botany are relatively thinner portions of the cell wall that adjacent cells can communicate or exchange fluid through. Pits are characteristic of cell walls with secondary layers. Generally each pit has a complementary pit opposite of it in the neighboring cell. These complementary pits are called "pit pairs". Pits are composed of three parts: the pit chamber, the pit aperture, and the pit membrane.
GymnospermThe gymnosperms ( ; from Ancient Greekγυμνός, gymnós'naked' and σπέρμα, spérma'seed', thus 'naked seed') are a group of woody, perennialseed-producing plants, typically lacking the protective outer covering which surrounds the seeds in flowering plants, that include conifers, cycads, ginkgos, and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The name is based on the unenclosed condition of their seeds (called ovules in their unfertilized state).
Flowering plantClade of seed plants that produce flowersFlowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the cladeAngiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words ἀγγεῖον (angeion; 'container, vessel') and σπέρμα (sperma; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit. The group was formerly called Magnoliophyta.
ProtoplastProtoplast (from Ancient Greek (prōtóplastos)'first-formed'), is a biological term coined by Hanstein in 1880 to refer to the entire cell, excluding the cell wall. Protoplasts can be generated by stripping the cell wall from plant, bacterial, or fungal cells by mechanical, chemical or enzymatic means. Protoplasts differ from spheroplasts in that their cell wall has been completely removed. Spheroplasts retain part of their cell wall.
SoftwoodSoftwood is wood from gymnosperm trees such as conifers. The term is opposed to hardwood, which is the wood from angiosperm trees. The main difference between hardwoods and softwoods is that softwoods completely lack vessels (pores). The main softwood species (pines, spruces, larches, false tsugas) also have resin canals (or ducts) in their wood. CharacteristicsSoftwood is wood from gymnosperm trees such as pines and spruces.
Cell wallA cell wall is a structural layer that surrounds some cell types, found immediately outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. Primarily, it provides the cell with structural support, shape, protection, and functions as a selective barrier. Another vital role of the cell wall is to help the cell withstand osmotic pressure and mechanical stress. Cell walls are found in most prokaryotes, with the exception of mollicute bacteria.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.