The key difference between simple permanent tissue and complex permanent tissue is that simple permanent tissue has only one type of cells while complex permanent tissue has different types of cells which are structurally and functionally different. Another main difference between simple permanent tissue and complex permanent tissue is that the simple permanent tissue is present in all parts of the plant whereas the complex permanent tissue is present mostly in vascular tissue.
Plants contain different types of tissues. Based on the ability to their divide, there are two types of tissues namely meristematic tissue and permanent tissue. The meristematic tissue has undifferentiated cells which have the capability to divide. Permanent tissue originates from the meristematic tissue. Furthermore, the permanent tissue has differentiated cells which are not capable of dividing. There are three types of permanent tissues, and simple permanent tissue and complex permanent tissue are two types among them.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Simple Permanent Tissue
3. What is Complex Permanent Tissue
4. Similarities Between Simple Permanent Tissue and Complex Permanent Tissue
5. Side by Side Comparison – Simple Permanent Tissue vs Complex Permanent Tissue in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Simple Permanent Tissue?
The simple permanent tissue is a type of plant tissue which has a single type of cells. All its cells are structurally and functionally similar. They are available in almost all parts of a plant. There are three main types of this tissue; parenchyma, collenchymas, and sclerenchyma.
Figure 01: Simple Permanent Tissue
Parenchyma cells are the simplest form of plant cells. It is the commonest form present in pith, cortex, pericycle, epidermis, leaves, fruits, roots, etc. Parenchyma cells show little specialization. Collenchyma cells are the second type, which is stronger and elastic. They are elongated cells. Sclerenchyma cells are much elongated and lignified. Hence they are the cells that provide mechanical support to the plant. Due to secondary thickening, they are dead cells, unlike parenchyma and collenchymas, which are live cells.
What is Complex Permanent Tissue?
The complex permanent tissue is the plant tissue having different types of cells. These cells perform different functions within the tissue. However, all cells are differentiated cells and specialized. Xylem and phloem are the two major types of complex permanent tissues in plants.
Figure 02: Vascular Tissue
Xylem conducts water and minerals throughout the plant. It consists of four cell types: xylem vessels, tracheids, xylem fibers, and xylem parenchyma. Phloem tissue transports nutrients from leaves to other plant parts. It is made up of sieve cells, companion cells, phloem fibers, and phloem parenchyma.
What are the Similarities Between Simple Permanent Tissue and Complex Permanent Tissue?
- Simple permanent tissue and complex permanent tissue are two types of plant tissues.
- Both have a collection of cells.
- These two tissue types perform important functions in plants.
- They contain differentiated cells.
- Both originate from the meristematic tissue.
What is the Difference Between Simple Permanent Tissue and Complex Permanent Tissue?
The simple permanent tissue is made up of one type of cells. On the other hand, the complex permanent tissue has different types of cells which perform diverse functions. Parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma are simple permanent tissues while xylem and phloem are complex permanent tissues. Moreover, the simple permanent tissue is present in all parts of the plant whereas complex permanent tissue is present mostly in vascular tissue.
Summary – Simple Permanent Tissue vs Complex Permanent Tissue
Permanent tissue consists of differentiated cells. There are two main types of permanent tissues; they are simple permanent tissue and complex permanent tissue. The main difference between simple permanent tissue and complex permanent tissue is the type of cells they contain.
Reference:
Image Courtesy:
1. “Herbaceous Dicot Stem: Collenchyma, Sclerenchyma and Parenchyma in Cucurbita” by Berkshire Community College Bioscience Image (Public Domain) via Flickr
2. “Figure 30 05 07” By CNX OpenStax – (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia