Anatomy of Flowering Plants — Practice

Question 1

Differentiate between dicot stem and monocot stem anatomy.

Accepted Answer

Dicot stem: vascular bundles arranged in a ring, open (cambium present), allowing secondary growth, with a distinct pith. Monocot stem: vascular bundles scattered, closed (no cambium), so no secondary growth, with undifferentiated ground tissue.

Question 2

What are Casparian strips and where are they found?

Accepted Answer

Casparian strips are bands of water-impermeable suberin/lignin on the radial and transverse walls of root endodermal cells. They block the apoplast pathway and force water and minerals to pass through the cell membranes (symplast), regulating uptake into the vascular cylinder.

Question 3

Describe the role of cambium in secondary growth.

Accepted Answer

The fascicular and interfascicular cambium join to form a continuous vascular cambium ring. It divides to produce secondary xylem (wood) toward the inside and secondary phloem toward the outside, increasing the girth of the stem.

Question 4

What are lenticels?

Accepted Answer

Lenticels are pore-like openings in the bark (periderm) that allow gas exchange between the living internal tissues of the stem and the atmosphere.

Question 5

Why are sieve tube cells enucleated at maturity?

Accepted Answer

Losing the nucleus creates more space and removes obstruction, allowing food (sap) to flow more easily through the sieve tubes; their functions are supported by the adjacent companion cells.

Practice — Anatomy of Flowering Plants

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