Milestones in Anatomy - Tissue and Tissue System

Tissue and Tissue System

Katherine Esau (1898–1997) : A legendary Role model for women in science. She was a scintillating Botany teacher and pioneering researcher for six decades. Her classic book Anatomy of Seed Plants is the best literature in Plant Anatomy. In recognition of her distinguished service to science, she was awarded National Medal of Science (1989) by USA.

This chapter introduces the internal structure of higher Plants. The study of internal structure and organisation of plant is called plant Anatomy (Gk: Ana = as under; temnein = to cut). Plants have cells as the basic unit. The cells are organised into tissues. The tissues in turn are organised into organs. The different organs in a plant have different internal structures. It is studied by means of dissection and microscopic examination.

Milestones in Anatomy

·              1837 Hartig: Coined the term Sieve tubes

·              1839  Schleiden:  Coined  the  term Collenchyma

·              1857 Hofmeister: Proposed Apical cell theory

·              1858 Nageli. C: Coined the term Xylem and Phloem, Meristem and supporter of Apical cell theory

·              1865  Mettenius:  Coined  the  term Sclerenchyma

·              1868 Hanstein: Proposed Histogen theory

·              1885 Tschirch: Coined the term Sclereids Named Four types of Sclereids (Brachy, Macro, Osteo & Astro) in 1889

·              1914  Haberlandt:  Coined  the  term xylem as Hadrome and Phloem as Leptome and Classification of meristem.

·              1924 Schmidt A: Proposed Tunica –Corpus theory

·              1926 Schűepp: Mass, rib, & plate meristem

·              1946 Bloch:Discoveredthe Trichosclereids

·              1952 Popham: Explained the organization of Shoot apex of Angiosperms

·              1955  Duchaigne:  Discovered  the Annular collenchyma

·              1961 Clowes: Proposed Quiescent centre concept

·              1963 Sanio: Coined the term Tracheids

The Tissues

A Tissue is a group of cells that are alike in origin, structure and function. The study of tissue is called Histology. A plant is made up of different types of tissues.

There are two principal groups:

1.           Meristematic tissues

2.           Permanent tissues