Read before you practise · 3 min
Read Which Tissues Support the Plant
Support comes from specialised living and dead tissues and from thick-walled elements in vascular tissue.
NSEB · Anatomy of Flowering Plants · 2 linked questions · 100% coverage
Know this first
Living-system questions are solved by matching a structure or organism to its function, process and stated condition.
Structure · The part being namedFunction · What that part doesCondition · The situation that changes the answer
Study deeper: NCERT Biology · Anatomy of Flowering Plants
Count the support elements
Collenchyma and sclerenchyma support the plant axis; xylem fibres, tracheids and vessels also contribute mechanical strength. Sieve tubes and phloem parenchyma are not counted as structural support here.
Find sclereids
Sclereids occur in gritty pear/fruit pulp, tea leaves, nut walls and many seed coats. They are absent from some cotyledons and primary medullary rays.
OlympIQ exam lens
- ✓Support count includes collenchyma, sclerenchyma and xylem elements.
- ✓Sclereids create gritty texture in some fruits.
OlympIQ trap
Count xylem vessels and tracheids as support-capable elements as well as conductors.
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