Tissues — Plant and Animal — Practice

Question 1

Identify the tissue: (a) conducts water upward, cells are dead (b) provides flexible support in leaf stalks (c) found only in the heart, has intercalated discs.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Apply tissue characteristics.
  (a) Conducts water, dead cells → XYLEM.
  (b) Flexible support, leaf stalks → COLLENCHYMA.
  (c) Heart only, intercalated discs → CARDIAC MUSCLE.

✦ Answer: (a) Xylem (b) Collenchyma (c) Cardiac muscle.

Question 2

Compare parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma under: cell condition (living/dead), cell walls, and function.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Set up comparison.

Tissue | Cell condition | Cell walls | Function
  -------|---------------|------------|--------
  Parenchyma | LIVING | Thin, cellulose | Storage, photosynthesis
  Collenchyma | LIVING | Unevenly thickened (cellulose+pectin) | Flexible support
  Sclerenchyma | DEAD at maturity | Thick, LIGNIFIED | Strength and rigidity

✦ Answer: Parenchyma (living, thin, storage), Collenchyma (living, thickened corners, flexible), Sclerenchyma (dead, lignified, strength).

Question 3

Compare xylem and phloem under four headings: what they transport, direction, cell types (living/dead), and driving force.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Build comparison table.

Feature | XYLEM | PHLOEM
  --------|-------|-------
  What transported | WATER + dissolved minerals | FOOD (sucrose, organic compounds)
  Direction | ONE-WAY: roots → shoots | TWO-WAY: source (leaves) → sink (roots/fruits)
  Cell types | DEAD: tracheids, xylem vessels | LIVING: sieve tubes (no nucleus); companion cells (control sieve tubes)
  Driving force | TRANSPIRATION PULL — passive, no ATP needed | ACTIVE TRANSPORT — requires ATP

Step 2 — Why xylem is dead:
  Dead cells form hollow tubes without cytoplasm obstructing water flow. Lignified walls prevent collapse under tension.

Step 3 — Why phloem sieve tubes have no nucleus:
  Creates space for sucrose flow. Companion cells (with nucleus + mitochondria) supply ATP and control them.

✦ Answer: Xylem = water/one-way/dead/transpiration pull. Phloem = food/two-way/living/ATP.

Question 4

Distinguish the three types of muscle tissue. For each, state: structure, voluntary/involuntary, and location.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — STRIATED (Skeletal) muscle:
  Structure: long, cylindrical, MULTINUCLEATE (many nuclei), dark and light BANDS (striations).
  Control: VOLUNTARY (conscious control).
  Location: attached to bones — limbs, face, body wall.

Step 2 — SMOOTH (Visceral) muscle:
  Structure: spindle-shaped, SINGLE nucleus, NO striations.
  Control: INVOLUNTARY (autonomic nervous system).
  Location: walls of hollow organs — stomach, intestines, blood vessels, bladder.

Step 3 — CARDIAC muscle:
  Structure: BRANCHED, single nucleus, FAINT striations, INTERCALATED DISCS.
  Control: INVOLUNTARY.
  Location: ONLY in the HEART. Contracts ~100,000 times/day — NEVER FATIGUES.

✦ Answer: Striated (voluntary, bones), Smooth (involuntary, hollow organs), Cardiac (involuntary, heart, intercalated discs).

Question 5

Classify all plant tissues (meristematic and permanent) and all animal tissues (epithelial, connective, muscular, nervous) with their key features, locations, and functions.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — PLANT TISSUES:

A. MERISTEMATIC TISSUE (growth):
    — Apical (root/shoot tips): primary growth, increases LENGTH.
    — Lateral/Cambium: secondary growth, increases GIRTH.
    — Intercalary (nodes): length growth in grasses.
  Features: small cells, thin walls, large nucleus, no vacuoles.

B. SIMPLE PERMANENT TISSUES:
    — Parenchyma: living, thin-walled, large vacuoles. Function: storage, photosynthesis.
    — Collenchyma: living, unevenly thickened. Function: flexible support.
    — Sclerenchyma: dead, lignified. Function: strength (jute, coconut husk).

C. COMPLEX PERMANENT TISSUES:
    — Xylem: dead cells (tracheids, vessels). Transports water upward. Transpiration pull.
    — Phloem: living cells (sieve tubes + companion cells). Transports food. Uses ATP.

Step 2 — ANIMAL TISSUES:

A. EPITHELIAL: tightly packed cells, forms coverings. Types: squamous (alveoli), cuboidal (kidney tubules), columnar (intestinal lining, microvilli), ciliated (respiratory tract), stratified (skin).

B. CONNECTIVE: cells in abundant matrix. Types: blood (liquid plasma), bone (calcium matrix), cartilage (chondrin — tracheal rings, ear), tendon (muscle→bone), ligament (bone→bone), adipose (insulation), areolar (packing tissue).

C. MUSCULAR: striated (voluntary, bones), smooth (involuntary, hollow organs), cardiac (involuntary, heart, intercalated discs).

D. NERVOUS: neurons. Dendrites (receive) → cell body → axon (transmit, myelin sheath) → axon terminals (synapse). Neurons can be ~1 m long.

✦ Answer: Complete classification with features as above.

Practice — Tissues — Plant and Animal

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