Parenchyma tissue is present in various regions of plants, primarily in the soft parts. These regions include:
- Mesophyll of leaves, fruits, and flowers (both palisade and spongy mesophyll)
- Ground tissue of the petiole
- Cortex and pith of stems and roots
- Vascular bundles (surrounding xylem and phloem)
- Young stems and soft parts of plants
- Also found in the endosperm of seeds and pulp of fruits
The parenchyma in leaves is specialized as chlorenchyma (with chloroplasts) for photosynthesis. Aerenchyma (a type of parenchyma with air spaces) provides buoyancy in aquatic plants. This tissue plays roles in storage, photosynthesis, and wound repair among other functions.
