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Parenchyma Cells
Parenchyma cells are the least specialized of all plant cells, but carry on almost all of a plant's metabolic functions. These cells are made of thin-walled, globular types of cells and make up many soft tissues on plants. Parenchyma cells are found scattered through a plant's stem and begin to work when the plant undergoes a hormonal change. Since these cells are able to divide themselves their whole lives, they are vital for wound healing and vegetative regeneration.
Schlerenchyma Cells
Schlerenchyma cells are made with thick secondary walls and are found in all parts of a plant's tissues. Due to these features, these cells are usually rigid, hard and brittle. Two types of schelerenchyma cells can be found in plants. Schlerids are shorter cells that are irregular in shape, while fibers are longer cells that have a secondary cell wall. Schelerenchyma cells cannot grow in length after they reach maturity, and at the end of functional maturity, these cells simply die.
Xylem Cells
Xylem cells form tubes inside plants that are used to transport water. Since plants have no water pumps to move the water, water molecules are pulled in hydrogen-bonded chains from the rhizome to the leaf. When a chain breaks, these cells lose their function and cannot repair themselves. At functional maturity, xylem cells will die off. Two types of xylem cells are found, including vessels and tracheids. Vessels are short, thick cells that have perforated cell wall ends and are only found in angiosperms. Tracheids are long, skinny cells that are connected by pits and are found in all vascular plants.
Ground Tissue
Ground tissues make up the majority of a plant and are found in between the dermal and vascular tissues. Three types of tissues are in the group of ground tissues, include collenchyma, parenchyma and sclerenchyma. Every ground tissue is responsible for different functions, such as supporting young roots and stems, protection, photosynthesis, support, healing, regeneration and food storage.
Dermal Tissue
A system made of dermal tissues work to protect the soft tissues of plants and help control interactions with what is surrounding the plant. One of the dermal tissues is the epidermis, a single layer of cells that cover some of the younger parts of a plant and creates a waxy layer that helps prevent water loss in the plant. Epidermal hairs also reduce water loss by lessening the amount of air that goes over a plant's surface.