In botany the cortex is the outer portion of the stem or root of a plant, bounded on the outside by the epidermis and on the inside by the pericycle. It is composed mostly of undifferentiated cells, usually large thin-walled parenchyma cells. The outer cortical cells often acquire irregularly thickened cell walls, and are called collenchyma cells. Some of the outer cortical cells may contain chloroplasts. Its main function is the storage of starch; often, it also provides aeration of cells to allow respiration. Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... A stem is the above ground axis of a vascular plant. ... For other meanings of root, see Root (disambiguation). ... Epidermis could refer to: In plants, the outermost layer of cells covering the leaves and young parts of a plant, see plant dermal tissue system. ... Found in the stele of plants, the pericycle is a cylinder of cells that lies just inside the endodermis. ... The parenchyma is the functional parts of an organ in the body (i. ... Chloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and eukaryotic algae which conduct photosynthesis. ... Starch is a complex carbohydrate which is insoluble in water. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Cellular respiration is, in its broadest definition, the process in which the chemical bonds of energy-rich molecules such as glucose are converted into energy usable for life processes. ...
cortex, in botany, term generally applied to the outer soft tissues of the leaves, stems, and roots of plants.
Cortical cells of the leaves and outer layers of nonwoody stems contain chloroplasts, and are modified for food storage (usually in the form of starch) in roots and the inner layers of stems and seeds.
Because of the combination of its soft texture (especially after cooking) and its role as a food storage tissue, the cortex is the predominant plant tissue eaten by humans and other animals.
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