Page 36 - Demo 1
P. 36

Nervous ssue also consists of neuroglia, cells that supply the neurons
            with nutrients, support and insulaon. Schwann cells are a type of neuroglial
            cells that encircle long nerve fibers within nerves, forming a protecve coang on
            the axons. This protecve coang is called the myelin sheath. The myelin sheath
            enables nerve impulses to travel much more quickly down the axon.




            Cell Modificaons
                   In both plants and animals, some cells become modified to perform
            special funcons that promote survival of the organisms. These cell modificaons
            include  trichomes  and  root  hairs  in  plants;  flagella,  cilia,  and  microvilli  in
            animals.
                   Trichomes  are  outgrowths  of the epidermal  layer that occur on  the
            plant shoot and on the surfaces of stems and leaves. They play an important
            role in regulang the heat and water balance of the leaves, similar to how a hairy
            coang  offers  insulaon  to  an  animal.  Trichomes  vary  greatly  in  form,  from
            rounded-p to globular-p forms. The presence of trichomes makes plants feel
            prickly or hairy and discourage insects from eang the leaves or stems. Other
            trichomes  secrete  a  scky  or  toxic  substance  that  may  ward  off  potenal
            herbivores.

























                                   Figure 21. Sample of trichome types
                          Source: http://botany.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/Wilson/tfp/veg/trichomes.gif



                   Root  hairs  are  p-growing  extensions  of  root  epidermal  cells  that
            promote the nutrient uptake ability of the plant because they keep the root in





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