Key Differences Between Plant and Animal Tissues
Organisms with many cells exhibit a division of labour. In the body, cells with specialised functions are frequently clustered together. A tissue is a collection of cells that are similar in both structure and function. Due to structural and functional variations, tissues in plants and animals come in a variety of types. Are plants and animals made of the same types of tissues? We will also learn about why plant and animal tissues are different. To know more about plant and animal tissues, continue reading this article.
What are Plant Tissues?
The characteristics and divisions of plant tissues are based on their composition and use. The patterning of the organs they produce within a plant will help to further categorise the plant. The three fundamental tissue pattens found in roots and stems, which distinguish between woody dicot, an herbaceous dicot, and monocot plants, are a good illustration of this.
What are Animal Tissues?
Animal tissues are made up of a collection of animal cells. The origin, purpose, and structure of these tissues differ. These tissues differ in their origin, structure, and function. Animals have four different types of tissues: epithelial, connective, muscular, and nervous.
Types of Plant Tissue
Based on the cells' capacity for division, plant tissues can be roughly divided into meristematic tissue and permanent tissue.
Meristematic Tissues
Meristematic Tissues
Meristematic tissues are made up of a collection of dividing cells. These tissues are made up of tiny, cuboidal, tightly packed cells that continuously divide to create new cells. According to the area in which they are found, meristematic tissues might be of three different types: apical meristems, lateral meristems, and intercalary meristems.
Permanent Tissues
Meristematic tissues give rise to permanent tissues, which are incapable of dividing. They are now in their fully developed shape. Simple and complex permanent tissues make up the next two categories.
Simple Permanent Tissues
Parenchyma
The soft tissues of a plant, such as the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers, are known as parenchyma. This tissue's cells are not tightly packed and have a lot of room between them. A vacuole is found in the middle of each cell. Parenchyma tissues serve as a plant's storage system, a site for photosynthesis, and a means of aiding in buoyancy.
Collenchyma
Cells have thicker cell walls that resemble parenchyma cells. They are designed to give the plant structure, including the petiole of the leaf, mechanical support.
Sclerenchyma
The cells in sclerenchyma tissue are defunct. They have thick, lignified secondary walls and are stiff. Their primary job is to strengthen and support various plant sections.
Complex Permanent Tissue
Complex permanent tissues are made up of more types of cells than simple permanent cells, which have the same appearance and are composed of just one type of cell. These several cell types work together to accomplish a task. Complex permanent tissues called Xylem and Phloem are present in a plant's vascular bundles.
Xylem
Tracheids, vessels, xylem parenchyma, and xylem fibres make up the xylem. Tracheids and vessels are hollow, tube-like organs that aid in the movement of minerals and water. The xylem only transmits in a vertical direction. The xylem parenchyma aids in the conduction of water and is in charge of storing cooked meals. The role of xylem fibres is supporting.
Phloem
The phloem is made up of four components: companion cells, sieve tubes, phloem fibres, and phloem parenchyma. The phloem conducts in both directions, in contrast to the xylem. It is in charge of moving food from the leaves to the other plant sections. Except for the fibres, which are dead tissues, the phloem contains living tissues.
Types of Animal Tissue
There are mainly four types of animal tissues. These are epithelial tissues, connective tissues, nervous tissues, and muscular tissues. The structure of animal tissue is explained below.
Epithelial tissue
Epithelial tissues form the outermost covering of the animal body. There are two types of epithelial tissues- simple epithelial tissue and compound epithelial tissue. Simple epithelial tissues are squamous epithelium, cuboidal epithelium and columnar epithelium. Compound epithelial tissues are made of more than one type of tissues.
Connective Tissues
Connective tissues are the tissues made of matrix and cells. There are many types of connective tissues such as areolar tissues, adipose tissues, blood, bones and cartilages.
Muscular Tissues
There are three types of muscular tissues: skeletal tissues, smooth and cardiac tissues. Skeletal tissues are voluntary muscles, and also multinucleated. Smooth muscles are spindle shaped, and involuntary in nature. Cardiac muscles only present in the heart and these are also involuntary in nature.
Nervous Tissues
Neurons are the structural and functional unit of the nervous system. It controls thought, movement and autonomic response of the body. It controls and coordinates all functions of the body.
Interesting Facts
Starfish are animals who do not have brains.
The actual colour of polar bear is black, but due to snow it appears white.
Shrimp is a creature whose heart is present in its head.
The snail can sleep for three years
Important Questions
1. What is the difference between animal and plant tissues?
2. What are similarities between plant and animal tissues?
3. What are different types of plant cells?
Practice Questions
Which is the best example of plant tissue?
Why are plants and animals made of different types of tissues?
What is plant tissue called?
What are major types of plant tissue?
Key Features
Depending on their shape and location, plant tissues have various roles. Plant tissues aid in giving the organs suppleness and flexibility.
They enable the tissues to flex readily in a plant's numerous sections, such as its leaves, stems, and branches, without the plant being harmed.
The tissues of the xylem and phloem aid in the movement of materials within the plants. They support a number of cellular metabolisms, including respiration, regeneration, and photosynthesis.
The animal tissue is of four types: epithelial tissue, connective tissue, muscular tissue and nervous tissues.
FAQs on Plant and Animal Tissues Explained with Examples
1. Are plants and animals made of the same types of tissues?
No, plants and animals are not made of the same types of tissues. Their tissues are structured very differently to support their distinct lifestyles. Plants are stationary and require tissues for structural support and photosynthesis, while animals are mobile and have developed tissues for movement, response, and complex metabolic processes.
2. What is the main difference between plant and animal tissues based on their function?
The core difference lies in their functional demands based on mobility and energy use.
- Plant tissues are primarily designed for structural support and are largely composed of dead cells because this provides rigidity without consuming energy.
- Animal tissues are mostly composed of living cells to support active movement, nerve communication, and other energy-intensive processes.
3. What are the major types of plant tissues and their functions?
Plant tissues are broadly classified into two main groups:
- Meristematic Tissue: Found in growing regions like the tips of roots and stems, these tissues consist of actively dividing cells responsible for plant growth.
- Permanent Tissue: These tissues originate from meristematic tissue but have lost the ability to divide. They are specialised to perform functions like protection (epidermis), photosynthesis (parenchyma), support (collenchyma, sclerenchyma), and transport (xylem, phloem).
4. What are the four main types of animal tissues?
Animals have four primary types of tissues, each with a specific function:
- Epithelial Tissue: Forms a protective layer on all external and internal surfaces of the body, such as the skin and the lining of the digestive tract.
- Connective Tissue: Provides support and connects different organs and tissues. Examples include blood, bone, and cartilage.
- Muscular Tissue: Composed of cells that can contract, enabling body movement.
- Nervous Tissue: Specialised for transmitting electrical impulses, forming the brain, spinal cord, and nerves that control and coordinate body functions.
5. Why do plants have more dead supportive tissues compared to animals?
This is a key adaptation for a stationary lifestyle. Plants need significant mechanical strength to stand upright against gravity and wind. Dead tissues, like sclerenchyma, provide this rigidity without requiring energy for maintenance, making them highly efficient for structural support. Animals, being mobile, need living, flexible tissues that can grow, repair, and facilitate movement, justifying their higher energy consumption.
6. How does the concept of cellular differentiation differ in plants and animals?
Cellular differentiation is the process where cells specialise. In plants, this process is largely localised to specific growing points called meristems, and it continues throughout the plant's life. In animals, differentiation occurs more uniformly throughout the body during early development. After reaching maturity, most animal cell division is limited to repair and replacement, unlike the continuous growth seen in plants.
7. What is the importance of meristematic tissue, and is there a similar concept in animals?
Meristematic tissue is vital for plants as it's the source of all new growth. Its undifferentiated cells divide continuously, allowing the plant to increase in height and girth. The closest functional equivalent in animals is stem cells. Like meristematic cells, stem cells are undifferentiated and can divide to form various specialised cells, playing a crucial role in growth, development, and tissue repair.
8. How do different tissues work together to form an organ like the heart?
The heart is an excellent example of tissue cooperation.
- Muscular tissue (specifically, cardiac muscle) makes up the bulk of the heart and contracts to pump blood.
- Nervous tissue controls the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat.
- Epithelial tissue forms the inner and outer protective linings of the heart chambers and valves.
- Connective tissue, including blood within its chambers and the fibrous tissue of the valves, integrates and supports all these components.
