Q 1 – A plant tissue has the following characteristics: cells are compactly arranged, possess dense cytoplasm, have prominent nuclei and either lack vacuoles or possess very small vacuoles. Which conclusion is most appropriate?
A. It is a permanent tissue specialised for storage
B. It is a meristematic tissue actively involved in growth
C. It is sclerenchyma providing mechanical strength
D. It is collenchyma providing flexibility
B. It is a meristematic tissue actively involved in growth
Q 2 – A student cuts off the growing tip of a root. After several days, the root shows almost no further elongation. Which explanation best accounts for this observation?
A. The root loses its epidermis
B. The root loses its lateral meristem
C. The dividing cells of the apical meristem have been removed
D. The root loses its xylem and phloem
C. The dividing cells of the apical meristem have been removed
Q 3 – Which combination correctly matches the tissue with its characteristic?
A. Parenchyma — dead cells with lignified walls
B. Collenchyma — localised wall thickening and flexibility
C. Sclerenchyma — living cells with large intercellular spaces
D. Xylem — exclusively living conducting cells
B. Collenchyma — localised wall thickening and flexibility
Q 4 – Consider the following statements
1. Xylem parenchyma is living.
2. Xylem vessels are generally dead at maturity.
3. Phloem fibres are living.
4. Sieve tube elements are living but lack a nucleus.
Which option is correct?
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 2 and 4 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
B. 1, 2 and 4 only
Q 5 – A plant tissue is composed of sieve tubes, companion cells, phloem parenchyma and phloem fibres. Which statement correctly distinguishes it from xylem?
A. It conducts only water upward
B. It consists mainly of dead cells
C. It transports organic food and may conduct in different directions
D. It provides greater mechanical support because all its cells are lignified
C. It transports organic food and may conduct in different directions
Q 6 – Which situation provides the strongest evidence for the role of collenchyma?
A. A coconut husk resists pulling and breaking
B. A young stem bends during strong wind without breaking
C. A root transports water to the shoot
D. A leaf transports prepared food to storage organs
B. A young stem bends during strong wind without breaking
Q 7 – A tissue consists of thin, flat cells arranged like floor tiles and is specialised for rapid diffusion. Which pair is most appropriate?
A. Cuboidal epithelium — kidney tubules
B. Columnar epithelium — alimentary canal
C. Squamous epithelium — alveoli
D. Ciliated epithelium — respiratory tract
C. Squamous epithelium — alveoli
Q 8 – A surgeon needs to identify the tissue that joins bone to bone and is elastic, rather than the one joining muscle to bone. Which pair is correct?
A. Tendon — bone to bone
B. Ligament — bone to bone
C. Tendon — bone to muscle
D. Both B and C
D. Both B and C
Q 9 – Which combination contains only involuntary muscles?
A. Skeletal and cardiac
B. Skeletal and smooth
C. Smooth and cardiac
D. Skeletal, smooth and cardiac
C. Smooth and cardiac
Q 10 – A neuron receives signals mainly through one type of projection and transmits the impulse away from the cell body through another. Which option correctly identifies them?
A. Axon receives; dendrite transmits
B. Dendrite receives; axon transmits
C. Cyton receives; dendrite transmits
D. Axon receives; cyton transmits
B — Dendrite receives; axon transmits.
Q 11 – Assertion (A): Aerenchyma enables certain aquatic plants to remain buoyant.
Reason (R): Aerenchyma contains numerous large air-filled spaces that reduce the effective density of the plant part.
A — Both Assertion and Reason are true, and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.
Q 12 – Assertion (A): Epidermis can perform different functions in different regions of a plant.
Reason (R): Epidermal cells may become specialised structures such as root hairs and guard cells according to their location and function.
A — Both Assertion and Reason are true, and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.
Q 13 – Assertion (A): Xylem can provide mechanical support in addition to transporting water.
Reason (R): Several xylem elements possess thick, lignified walls that increase the mechanical strength of the plant.
A — Both Assertion and Reason are true, and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.
Q 14 – Assertion (A): Areolar tissue is useful in repairing tissues after injury.
Reason (R): Areolar tissue fills spaces between organs and supports the tissues present in those regions.
B — Both are true, but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.
Q 15 – Assertion (A): A tissue specialised for rapid diffusion would be unsuitable as the major protective covering of a body surface exposed to continuous mechanical abrasion.
Reason (R): A thin, single-layered epithelium provides a short diffusion pathway but offers less protection against repeated mechanical wear than a multilayered epithelium.
A — Both Assertion and Reason are true, and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.
Q 16 – Assertion (A): All cells of a complex permanent tissue must perform exactly the same function.
Reason (R): A complex permanent tissue consists of more than one type of cell working together to perform a common overall function.
D — Assertion is false, but Reason is true.
Q 17 – Assertion (A): The absence of a nucleus in a sieve tube element does not necessarily mean that it is a dead cell.
Reason (R): Sieve tube elements remain functionally associated with companion cells.
A — Both Assertion and Reason are true, and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.
Q 18 – Assertion (A): Increasing the number of cell layers in an epithelium generally makes it less suitable for rapid diffusion.
Reason (R): A greater number of layers increases the distance through which substances have to pass.
A — Both Assertion and Reason are true, and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.
Q 19 – Assertion (A): A tendon and a ligament cannot be considered functionally identical even though both belong to connective tissue.
Reason (R): Tendons connect muscles to bones, whereas ligaments connect bones to bones.
A — Both Assertion and Reason are true, and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.
Q 20 – Assertion (A): The presence of striations alone is sufficient to identify a muscle as voluntary.
Reason (R): Both skeletal and cardiac muscles possess striations, but their control differs.
D — Assertion is false, but Reason is true.
Q 21 – Fill in the blanks:
1. The meristem present at the growing tips of roots and shoots, responsible mainly for increase in the length of the plant, is called __________ meristem.
2. Meristematic cells generally possess dense cytoplasm and a prominent __________,
while large vacuoles are generally absent.
3. The process by which meristematic cells acquire a permanent shape, size and specialised function is called __________.
4. Parenchyma containing chlorophyll and therefore capable of photosynthesis is called __________.
5. The specialised parenchyma containing large air spaces, commonly found in aquatic plants, is known as __________.
6. In collenchyma, the cell walls show uneven thickening particularly at the __________ of the cells.
7. The mechanical tissue whose cells are dead at maturity and have heavily __________ cell walls is called sclerenchyma.
8. The gritty texture experienced while chewing a pear is due to the presence of specialised sclerenchymatous cells called __________.
9. The waxy substance deposited in the walls of cork cells, making them impermeable to water and gases, is called __________.
10. The two complex permanent tissues responsible for conduction in plants are __________ and __________.
11. The two principal conducting elements of xylem are __________ and __________.
12. Unlike vessels, the end walls of __________ remain intact, and water passes from one cell to another through pits.
13. The only living component among the four major components of xylem is xylem __________.
14. The uncutinised younger portion of plant roots are used for increasing the absorptive surface area of the root and are known as __________________
15. Although sieve tube elements lack a __________, they remain living because of their functional association with companion cells.
16. The thin, non-cellular structure through which epithelial tissue is anchored to underlying connective tissue is called the __________ membrane.
17. The epithelial tissue specialised for movement of substances such as mucus by coordinated beating of its projections is called __________ epithelium.
18. The connective tissue that joins a muscle to a bone is called a __________, whereas the tissue joining bone to bone is a __________.
19. The fluid matrix of blood is called __________, in which blood cells and other formed elements are suspended.
20. The short, branched processes arising from the cell body of a neuron that mainly receive impulses are called __________, whereas the long process that carries
impulses away from the cell body is the __________.
1. Apical
2. Nucleus
3. Differentiation
4. Chlorenchyma
5. Aerenchyma
6. Corners
7. Lignified
8. Sclereids
9. Suberin
10. Xylem and phloem
11. Tracheids and vessels
12. Tracheids
13. Parenchyma
14. Root hairs
15. Nucleus
16. Basement
17. Ciliated
18. Tendon; ligament
19. Plasma
20. Dendrites; axon
Q 22 – A student observes two plant tissues under a microscope.
- Tissue A: cells are small, compact, have dense cytoplasm and prominent nuclei.
- Tissue B: cells are larger, differentiated and may possess large vacuoles.
Identify A and B and write one structural difference between them.
Tissue A: Meristematic tissue — small, compact cells with dense cytoplasm, prominent nuclei and little/no vacuolation.
Tissue B: Permanent tissue — differentiated, generally larger cells that may contain large vacuoles.
Difference: Meristematic cells actively divide, whereas permanent cells are differentiated and generally no longer actively divide.
Q 23 – Differentiate between collenchyma and sclerenchyma on the basis of:
1. Nature of cells
2. Function
Give one suitable example/location of each.
Collenchyma: living cells; unevenly thickened walls; provides flexibility and mechanical support; found in young dicot stems, petioles and leaf midribs.
Sclerenchyma: dead cells at maturity; thick, lignified walls; provides rigidity and mechanical strength; found in structures such as coconut husk and hard coverings.
Q 24 – Why are xylem vessels and tracheids suitable for conducting water? Give two structural reasons. Do not merely write “they conduct water”.
They have lignified walls, which provide strength and prevent collapse. They are generally dead and hollow at maturity, leaving little cellular content to obstruct water movement. Vessels form continuous channels, while tracheids conduct through pits.
Q 25 – A person suffers an injury to a joint. Explain why damage to a ligament and damage to a tendon would affect different connections.
Tendon: connects muscle to bone, so damage affects muscle attachment and movement. Ligament: connects bone to bone, so damage affects joint stability.
Q 26 – Identify the tissue involved in each case and give its major function:
a. Lining of kidney tubules
b. Movement of mucus/foreign particles along respiratory passages
(a) Cuboidal epithelium — lines kidney tubules and is involved in absorption and secretion.
(b) Ciliated epithelium — cilia help move mucus and trapped foreign particles along respiratory passages.
Q 27 – A gardener removes the tip of a growing root. The root initially grows rapidly, but after removal of the tip its elongation almost stops.
Answer the following:
a. Name the tissue responsible for the original growth.
b. Explain why removal of the tip stops elongation.
c. Name another type of meristem and state how its growth effect differs from that of the tissue in part (a).
(a) Apical meristem.
(b) The apical meristem contains actively dividing cells that produce new cells responsible for increase in root length.
Removing the tip removes this major region of primary growth, so elongation is greatly reduced.
(c) Lateral meristem, such as cambium. Apical meristem increases length, whereas lateral meristem increases
girth/thickness.
Q 28 – A student observes three plant structures:
- A: Living cells with thin walls and large intercellular spaces; some contain chlorophyll
- B: Living elongated cells with uneven thickening at the corners
- C: Dead cells with very thick lignified walls and almost no lumen.
a. Identify A, B and C.
b. Which tissue provides flexibility?
c. Which tissue is mainly responsible for mechanical strength?
(a) A — Parenchyma; B — Collenchyma; C — Sclerenchyma.
(b) Collenchyma provides flexibility.
(c) Sclerenchyma mainly provides mechanical strength and rigidity.
Q 29 – Both xylem and phloem are complex permanent tissues, yet their structures and functions are considerably different.
Compare xylem and phloem under the following three headings:
1. Material transported
2. Direction of transport
3. Living/dead nature of their major components
Your answer must contain at least one structural point and two functional differences.
The reference specifically describes xylem as conducting water/minerals mainly upward, whereas phloem conducts organic solutes and may conduct bidirectionally.
Material: Xylem transports water and minerals; phloem transports organic food/solutes.
Direction: Xylem movement is mainly upward from roots to shoots; phloem can be bidirectional depending on
source and sink.
Cell nature: Xylem is mainly composed of dead conducting/supporting elements, with xylem parenchyma living.
Phloem is mainly living, while phloem fibres are dead.
Additional structural point: Xylem contains tracheids and vessels; phloem contains sieve tubes and companion
cells
Q 30 – A student accidentally damages the epithelial lining of the respiratory tract.
Another student suffers damage to cardiac muscle.
Explain why the consequences are different by comparing:
a. The principal function of epithelial tissue involved in the respiratory tract
b. The special structural/functional characteristics of cardiac muscle
c. Why cardiac muscle cannot simply be treated like voluntary skeletal muscle
The reference identifies ciliated epithelium with movement of material through ducts and describes cardiac muscle as striated but involuntary.
(a) Ciliated epithelium helps move mucus and trapped foreign particles along the respiratory passage.
(b) Cardiac muscle is striated, involuntary and specialised for continuous rhythmic contraction of the heart.
(c) Cardiac muscle cannot be treated like voluntary skeletal muscle because, despite both being striated, cardiac muscle works involuntarily and continuously without conscious control.
Q 31 – A tissue sample from the human body is found to have:
- cells embedded in a matrix
- fibres in the matrix,
- a role in binding/supporting body structures.
Another sample consists of specialised cells capable of receiving and transmitting impulses.
a. Identify the two broad tissue types.
b. Give two examples of the first tissue.
c. Name the structural and functional unit of the second tissue and state its basic function.
The reference classifies animal tissues into epithelial, muscular, connective and nervous tissues and identifies the neuron as the unit of nervous tissue responsible for receiving/transmitting impulses.
(a) First sample — connective tissue; second sample — nervous tissue.
(b) Any two examples: bone, cartilage, blood, areolar tissue, adipose tissue, tendon or ligament.
(c) The structural and functional unit of nervous tissue is the neuron. It receives and transmits nerve impulses,
enabling communication between different parts of the body.