ABSTRACT

This chapter explores some of the anatomy, or internal organization (cells, tissues, and organs), of angiosperms. For simplicity, we first look at cell types, and then compare and contrast the anatomy of monocotyledonous (monocot) and dicotyledonous (dicot) tissues and organs. For the purposes of this book, we will consider angiosperms to have the following four organs: roots, stems, leaves, and flowers-fruit morphology and anatomy will not be discussed in this chapter. It is impossible to discuss adequately all the details of anatomy and development of these organs in this short chapter. Therefore, most treatments of cell types, tissues, and organs are described in broad terms, and students are cautioned that many exceptions to our generalizations can be found. Readers with greater interest in a more thorough exploration of anatomy, of the development of angiosperms, and of the comparison of angiosperms to other divisions of plants are directed to the botany and anatomy textbooks cited at the end of this chapter. Most of the material in this chapter is derived from Esau (1960) and Fahn (1990). Readers should also note that while plant anatomy and morphology are typically studied through the use of static materials, such as histological sections (Chapter 4), it is important to keep in mind that they represent growing, changing three-dimensional organisms. In this way, an understanding of plant development can be better achieved.