aerenchyma
Quick Summary
Aerenchyma is a specialized plant tissue characterized by large intercellular air spaces. This tissue is primarily found in aquatic plants and serves to facilitate gaseous exchange and maintain buoyancy.1
Aerenchyma can develop from the cortex, which is the tissue located between the epidermis and the vascular tissues of stems and roots. The air spaces in aerenchyma are formed by the separation, tearing, or dissolution of the cortex cell walls. Parenchyma cells, which are typically thin-walled and adaptable, form the basis of aerenchyma and are involved in various plant functions like photosynthesis and storage.23
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angiospermLeaves…submerged leaves); the mesophyll contains aerenchyma (an adaptation to promote water loss) and little or no collenchyma or sclerenchyma; and the vascular system (particularly the water-conducting element of the vascular system, the xylem) is only weakly developed since the water provides much of the mechanical support to the plant normally…
Read More…submerged leaves); the mesophyll contains aerenchyma (an adaptation to promote water loss) and little or no collenchyma or sclerenchyma; and the vascular system (particularly the water-conducting element of the vascular system, the xylem) is only weakly developed since the water provides much of the mechanical support to the plant normally…
Read More- angiospermMechanisms of dispersal
Adaptations for water dispersal include aerenchyma in fruits or seeds and light weight (e.g., water chestnut, Trapa natans; Lythraceae).
Read MoreAdaptations for water dispersal include aerenchyma in fruits or seeds and light weight (e.g., water chestnut, Trapa natans; Lythraceae).
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