The packing and storing tissue

The idea

Parenchyma consists of living, thin-walled, loosely packed cells with intercellular spaces; it mainly stores food, performs photosynthesis in green parts, and in aquatic plants forms air spaces that help them float.

Why does a lotus leaf float?

A pond plant floats on water. A stone of the same size would sink.

What could make a plant float?

• Spaces filled with air inside it
• A very heavy, solid stem
• A thick waxy wall only

One tissue, three jobs

Choose a potato, a green leaf and a pond plant. Look at the parenchyma cells in each.

Parenchyma

Parenchyma is a simple permanent tissue of living cells with thin walls. The cells are loosely packed, with intercellular spaces. It mainly stores food, performs photosynthesis in the green parts of plants, and in aquatic plants forms air spaces that help them float.

• Where | Job
• Storage organs | store food
• Green parts | photosynthesis
• Aquatic plants | air spaces help floating

Notes

Parenchyma: living, thin-walled, loosely packed cells. It stores food, does photosynthesis in green parts, and forms air spaces that help aquatic plants float.

Check yourself

Parenchyma cells are…

Why can an aquatic plant float?

Which job does parenchyma mainly do?

• dead with very thick walls. That describes sclerenchyma.
• living, thin-walled and loosely packed — correct. Yes.
• tightly packed with no space at all. Parenchyma has intercellular spaces.
• Its cells are dead and heavy. The air spaces are what help it float.
• It has no cells. All plants are made of cells.
• Its parenchyma forms air spaces — correct. Yes.
• Stores food — correct. Yes.
• Makes the plant hard like wood. That is sclerenchyma.
• Carries water up the stem. That is xylem.