
Simple pits: A pit pair in which the diameter of the pit chamber and the diameter of the pit aperture are equal. Bordered pits: A pit pair in which the pit chamber is over-arched by the cell wall, creating a larger pit chamber and smaller pit aperture. Half bordered pits: A pit pair in which a bordered pit has a complementary simple pit.
What is the difference between a bordered and simple pit pair?
Two bordered pits make up a bordered pit pair, two simple pits form a simple pit pair. A bordered pit and a simple pit lying opposite to each other in contiguous cells, constitute a half bordered pit pair.
What are simple pits and bordered pits in plants?
Usually two types of pits are met within the cells of various plants, viz., simple pits and bordered pits. Two bordered pits make up a bordered pit pair, two simple pits form a simple pit pair. A bordered pit and a simple pit lying opposite to each other in contiguous cells, constitute a half bordered pit pair.
What is a compound pit pair?
Compound pits: A pit pair in which one cell wall has a large pit and the adjacent cell wall has numerous, small pits. Plasmodesmata are thin sections of the endoplasmic reticulum that traverse pits and connect adjacent cells.
What are pit pairs in cell wall?
Pits are relatively thinner portions of the cell wall that adjacent cells can communicate or exchange fluid through. Pits are characteristic of cell walls with secondary layers. Generally each pit has a complementary pit opposite of it in the neighboring cell. These complementary pits are called "pit pairs".

What are simple pits?
Simple pits are areas of the tracheid cell wall so thin that nutrient rich solutions can pass through them, to be dispersed throughout the plant. Bordered pits have the secondary cell wall extending over the pit with a small hole in the secondary cell wall that allows the water to pass through.
What is a pit pair?
Definition of pit-pair : two pits occurring opposite one another in the walls of adjacent cells of many higher vascular plants and acting together as a structural and functional unit.
What is simple pit in biology?
A simple pit is a pit that lacks a border. It is a type of pit found in plant cells such as parenchyma cells, medullary rays, phloem fibres, companion cells, and tracheids of several flowering plants.
Which tissue has simple pit pair?
The four types are Parenchyma, Collenchyma, Sclerenchyma, and Epidermis. Pits with no borders are known as simple pits. Two basic pits are positioned side by side to form a basic pit pair. The secondary cell walls of additional xylary fibres have simple pits.
What are types of pits?
The two major types of pits are – Simple pits and bordered pits. Bordered pits have a secondary wall thickening over the pit cavity, whereas simple pits do not have borders. A pit pair between a simple and bordered pit is called a half-bordered pit. A pit with no complementary pit is termed a blind pit.
What are the three pairs of a pit pair?
Pits are composed of three parts: the pit chamber, the pit aperture, and the pit membrane.
What is pits and its function?
Pits are the characteristic depressions on the cell walls of plant cells. They act as the channels for the transport of water and minerals between adjacent cells. Pits of two neighboring cells are usually located opposite to each other and these opposite pits together are called pit pair.
What is a pit used for?
A covered hole used to trap wild animals; pitfall. Any concealed danger; trap; snare. An enclosed area in which animals are kept or made to fight. A bear pit.
What are the pits for in xylem?
Pits are the minute openings present within the secondary cell wall of xylem tissues. These membranes act as the channels for the transport of water and minerals between adjacent cells.
What is difference between pits and plasmodesmata?
Pits and plasmodesmata help plant cells to communicate with each other and transport substances between them. Pits are thin areas of the cell wall. In contrast, plasmodesmata are the cytoplasmic bridges that transverse in the cell wall. So, this is the key difference between pits and plasmodesmata.
Why are pits present in sclerenchyma?
Sclerenchyma Characteristics Cells are usually dead without protoplasts. The cell wall is thick and lignified with a few or numerous pits. They possess both primary and secondary cell walls. The secondary cell wall is highly thickened and has pits to allow the exchange of substances.
What does blind pit mean?
Definition of blind pit botany. : a pit lacking a complementary pit and commonly found opposite an intercellular space — see pit-pair.
What is pit in plant?
Pits are the characteristic depressions on the cell walls of plant cells. They act as the channels for the transport of water and minerals between adjacent cells. Pits of two neighboring cells are usually located opposite to each other and these opposite pits together are called pit pair.
What is the function of pits in plant cells?
Abstract. Minute openings (pits) in the secondary cell wall of water conducting elements play an important role in water transport in living plants. They allow the flow of water and nutrients from one element to another, linking water uptake in roots with transpiration in leaves.
What is pit membrane?
Definition of pit membrane : a membrane of a plant pit that consists of primary wall and middle lamella and that closes the pit externally. — called also closing membrane.
What are blind pits?
Definition of blind pit botany. : a pit lacking a complementary pit and commonly found opposite an intercellular space — see pit-pair.
What are pits?
Pits are the characteristic depressions on the cell walls of plant cells. They act as the channels for the transport of water and minerals between adjacent cells. Pits of two neighboring cells are usually located opposite to each other and these opposite pits together are called pit pair. Each pit has a cavity called pit cavity.
What are primary pit fields?
Pits of primary and secondary cell wall show considerable differences. Well organized pits can be seen on the secondary cell wall. Pits of primary cell wall look like depressions on the cell wall. These depression like pits on the primary cell wall are called primary pit fields or primordial pits or primary pits.
What is Bordered Pit?
A bordered pit is a type of pit that has a border. The border is formed due to the arching of the secondary cell wall over the pit cavity. Therefore, the bordered pit becomes narrow like a funnel towards the lumen of the cell. Bordered pits have pit apertures which are small rounded mouth-like parts.
What is Simple Pit?
A simple pit is a pit that lacks a border. It is a type of pit found in plant cells such as parenchyma cells, medullary rays, phloem fibres, companion cells, and tracheids of several flowering plants.
What are the Similarities Between Bordered Pit and Simple Pit?
Bordered pit and simple pit are two types of depressions on the plant secondary cell walls.
What is the Difference Between Bordered Pit and Simple Pit?
The bordered pit has a border formed due to the overarching of the secondary cell wall while simple pit lacks a border. Thus, this is the key difference between bordered pit and simple pit. Moreover, in bordered pits, narrowing of the pit towards the lumen of the cell can be seen while there is no such narrowing in the simple pit.
Summary – Bordered Pit vs Simple Pit
A pit is a depression of the secondary cell wall of a plant cell. Simple pits and bordered pits are two types of pits. In bordered pits, the secondary cell wall arches over the pit cavity while in simple pits, there is no such arching of the secondary cell wall over the pit cavity. So, this is the key difference between bordered pit and simple pit.
Types of pits
Though pits are usually simple and complementary, a few more pit variations can be formed:
Plasmodesmata
Plasmodesmata are thin sections of the endoplasmic reticulum that traverse pits and connect adjacent cells. These sections provide an avenue of transport through the pits and facilitate communication.
Torus and margo
A simplified diagram of a bordered pit-pair with a torus and margo. The top shows an unobstructed pit and the bottom shows an aspirated pit, with the margo flexing under stress.

Range of Traces
Leaf and Branch Gaps
- In the majority of vascular plants the outward passage of leaf or branch trace is associated with the formation of a break or interruption in the vascular cylinder around and above the point of departure of the trace. This opening through which the cortex and pith become continuous, is known as a gap, A leaf gap accompanies a leaf traceand a branch gap accompanies a branch tr…
Pits
- During the early stages in the thickening of the primary cell wall, small, sharply defined areas in the primary pit fields are left then and uncovered. As thickening continues, cavities are left in the wall at these places. These cavities, together with the wall that surround them, the exposed area of primary wall that forms the “bottom” or external wall, and the side walls and roof are known a…
Pit-Pairs
- A pit has a complimentary or opposing pit in the wall of the contiguous cell. The two pits form a structural and functional unit, a pit-pair. The cavity of the pit is the pit cavity, the membrane that separates the two cavities of a pit-pair is the pit membrane or closing membrane of the pit-pair: the opening or mouth of the pit at the inner wall s...
Difference Between Bordered Pit and Simple Pit
- References & Other Links 1. Class Lecture of Parveen Rashid, PhD (Professor, Department of Botany, University of Dhaka). Revised by 1. Khaleda Akter Shompa on 28 July, 2021.