Protective tissues are those that take care of protecting the plant, exiling it from the outside and from possible external attacks, these are tissues that form an external layer on the plant to thus protect the plant from external agents such as desiccation, rain, or others that may affect their development. Protective tissue is also known as integument, it is formed by a series of cells that cover the plant isolating it from the environment. In the roots of plants this type of tissue specializes in forming absorbent hairs that allow the plant to acquire water from the soil; For its part, the leaf forms a kind of layer that waterproofs the stems or leavesso that they do not lose water and on the inside of the leaves the skin makes a modification to allow the gaseous changes of photosynthesis and respiration, but also the exclusion of water vapor in perspiration.
The protective fabrics can be classified into two types: the epidermis and the suber or cork.
The epidermis: composed of those tissues that cover the stem and leaves; It is a layer that is made up of a set of flat cells attached to each other like a pavement and with the outer wall covered with cutin, very impermeable that they have functional cytoplasm, they are also characterized by not containing chloroplasts, therefore they do not perform the photosynthesis. It has structures called stomata in order to enable the passage of gases, erected by cells in a kidneylike manner. One of the main functions of the epidermal tissue is to guarantee the protection of the plant, however it also facilitates and regulates the exchange of substances; Sometimes the cells of the epidermis are transformed into hairs that prevent the plant from losing these substances and protect it from friction.
The suber: the suberous tissues also known as corks, is responsible for replacing the epidermal in the stems and roots that has more than one year of life, this layer is made up of a series of dead or non-functional cells, therefore they do not have cytoplasm Some, however, retain their cell walls that soak in suberin, making them waterproof. These walls contain lenticels, which are empty channels that allow the exchange of gases with the atmosphere. The main functions of the suberosos fabrics are to keep the plant away from possible extreme temperatures, in addition to taking care of it from mechanical injuries and reducing perspiration.
