Permanent tissues are those in which, growth has stopped either completely or for the time being At times, they become meristematic partially or wholly. Permanent tissues are of two types namely (i) simple tissue and (ii) complex tissue.
Simple tissue
Simple tissue are homogeneous-composed of structurally and functionally similar cells eg., Parenchyma, collenchyma and Sclerenchyma.
(i) Parenchyma
Parenchyma are simple permanent tissue composed of living cells. Parenchyma cells are thin walled, oval, rounded or polygonal in shape with well developed spaces among them, In aquatic plants, Parenchyma possesses intercellular air spaces, and is named as Aerenchyma. When exposed to light, parenchyma cells may develop chloroplasts and are known as Chlorenchyma.
Functions: Parenchyma may store water in many succulent and xerophytic plants. it also serve the function of storage of food reserves, absorption, buoyancy, secretion etc.
(ii) Collenchyma
Collenchyma is a living tissue found beneath the epidermis. cells are elongated with unevenly thickned non-lignified walls. Cells have rectangular oblique or tapering ends and persistent protoplast. They possess thick primary non-lignified walls
Functions: They provide mechanical support for growing organs.
(iii) Sclerenchyma
Sclerenchyma consists of thick walled cells which are often lingnified, sclerenchyma cells do not possess living protoplasts at maturity. Sclerenchyma cells are grouped into (i) fibres and (ii) sclereids.
Fibre are elongated sclerenchymatous cells, usually with pointed ends. Their walls are lignified Fibre are abundantly found in many plants. the average length of fibres is 1 to 3 mm, however in plants like linum usitatissimum (flax) cannabis sativa (hemp) and corchorus capsularis (jute) fibres are extensively longer ranging from 20mm to 550 mm.
