NCERT Questions for Class 11

Biology
Chapter 06- Anatomy of Flowering Plants

1. State the position and role of various kinds of meristems.

Ans: Meristem refers to meristematic tissues which consist of actively dividing
cells. Based on their position in the plant body, meristems are of three types. They
are given below.
i. Apical meristem: It is present at the apices of shoot and root and is
accountable for the rise in length.
ii. Intercalary meristem: It is present at the bases of leaves on top of the
nodes or under the nodes and is accountable for the elongation of the
organs.
iii. Lateral meristem: It is present on the lateral side and is accountable for
the rise in diameter or girth.

Fig: Diagram showing different types of meristems.

2. Cork cambium forms tissues that form the cork. Do you agree with this
statement? Explain.
Ans: Yes, I agree with this statement. Cork cambium (also called phellogen) cuts
off cells both on its outer side and inner side. The cells cut off on the outer side
form the cork (also called phellem ) and cells cut off on the inner side form the
secondary cortex(also called phelloderm). The cells of the cork are dead while

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those of the secondary cortex is alive. Phelloderm, phellogen, and phellem are
collectively known as periderm.

3. Describe the entire process of secondary development in the stems of

woody angiosperms using a schematic representation. What is its
importance?
Ans:
• Secondary growth refers to the formation of secondary tissues that leads to an
increase in girth or width of dicot stems due to the activity of the cambium
and cork cambium.
• Secondary tissues are established by two kinds of lateral meristems, vascular
cambium and cork cambium. The vascular cambium produces secondary
vascular tissues whereas cork cambium forms periderm.
• The vascular bundles in the dicot stem are conjoint, collateral, open, and are
arranged in a ring. The cambium present among the phloem and xylem in
vascular bundles is known as intrafascicular or fascicular cambium.
• Besides this, some cells of medullary rays also turn into secondarily
meristematic and this is known as interfascicular cambium. Both these cambia
collectively constitute a complete cambial ring. This ring of vascular cambium
divides the periclinal to cut off cells both on the inner side and outer side.
• The cells cut off on the external side is the secondary phloem and the internal
side is the secondary xylem.
• The amount of secondary xylem cut-off is more than secondary phloem and
therefore with the development of secondary tissue, a rise in diameter or girth
occurs. The structure of the secondary xylem and secondary phloem is the
same as that of the primary phloem and primary xylem.
• With the rise in secondary tissue, the primary phloem and primary xylem get
crushed. The ray initials of the vascular cambium ring are split by tangential
divisions and add new cells. These new cells formed on both the sides of ray
initials remain meristematic for some time and then distinguish into
parenchymatous cells of rays.
• The rays, produced by vascular cambium among the secondary phloem and

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 secondary xylem, are known as secondary medullary rays. They are generally
one to few layers in thickness and one to numerous layers in height.
• The medullary rays form the radial system accountable for the radial
conduction of solutes. They sustain the link between the cortex and pith. There
is a significant difference in the activity of cambium with a change in season.
• In spring, the activity of cambium is even greater, and therefore the wood
elements are bigger in size with a wide lumen. The activity of the cambium is
less in the autumn and the wood components are relatively small in size with
the thin lumen.
• Autumn wood and springwood of a year form the annual ring. (The age of a
tree can be defined by calculating the annual rings. Numerous annual rings are
consistent with the age of a tree.)
• Phellogen cells (cork cambium) split on both the inner side and the outer side
as well to form secondary tissues.
• The secondary tissue developed on the inner side is known as the secondary
cortex whereas the tissue developed on the outer side is known as cork.

Fig: Diagram indicating secondary growth in dicot stems

Significance of secondary growth is as follows:

i. It adds to the girth of the plant thus provides support to the increasing

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 weight of aerial parts due to growth.
ii. It produces a corky bark around the tree trunk that protects the interior from
abrasion, heat, cold, and infection.
iii. It adds new vascular tissues for replacing old non-functioning one as well
as for meeting increased demand for long-distance transport of sap and
organic nutrients.

4. Draw images to sketch out the anatomical variation between:

(a) Monocot root and dicot root
Ans: Variations between monocot root and dicot root are shown in the following
picture and table.

Fig: Comparative pictures of dicot root and monocot root T.S.

Features Monocot root Dicot root

Cortex Comparatively Very wide
Endodermis Less thickened and Later turn highly
Casparian strips are more thickened. Casparian strips
important. are noticeable only in
young root

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 Passage cells Generally absent. Usually occur opposite the
protoxylem point
Pericycle Generates lateral roots, Creates lateral roots only.
cork cambium, and part of
the vascular cambium.
Vascular bundles 2 to 5 or sometimes 8. 8 or more numbers.
Pith Either absent or extremely Well-developed.
small.

(b) Monocot stem and dicot stem

Ans: Variations between monocot and dicot stems are shown in the following
illustration.

Fig:- Comparative pictures of dicot root and monocot stem T.S.

Features Monocotyledonous stem Dicotyledonous stem

Vascular (a) Scattered (a) Vascular bundles in the ring
bundles (b) Conjoint, collateral. (b) Conjoint, collateral, or
(c) Bundle sheath is bicollateral and open.
usually present. (c) Bundle sheath absent.
(d) Phloem parenchyma (d) Phloem parenchyma present.

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 absent. (e) Not arranged in V or Y
(e) Xylem vessels are shaped manner.
arranged either in a Y or
V-shaped manner.
Pith (Medulla) Absent Composed of parenchymatous
cells found in the center of the
stem.
Ground tissue Ground tissue is not Distinguished into the pith and
distinguished into the pith cortex.
and cortex.
Hypodermis. Usually, Collenchymatous
sclerenchymatous
Endodermis Absent One layered, starchy sheath is
generally not well
distinguished.
Pericycle Absent Composed of one or several.

5. From your school garden, cut down a transverse section of the young stem
of a plant and examine it by using the microscope. How would you determine
whether it is a monocot stem or a dicot stem? Give reasons.
Ans: Looking through the microscope, I will check if the following features are
observed.
• Vascular bundles in the dicot stem are arranged in a ring whereas in
monocot stem vascular bundles are scattered throughout the ground tissue.
• Based on the arrangement of vascular bundles, it can be ascertained
whether the young stem is dicot or monocot.
• In addition to the indistinguishable ground tissue, sclerenchymatous
hypodermis, spherical or egg-shaped vascular bundles with Y-shaped
xylem are other distinguishing characteristics of monocot stem.

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 Fig: Arrangement of vascular bundles in dicot and monocot stems.

6. The transverse section of a plant material reveals the subsequent

anatomical features – (a) the vascular bundles are conjoint, widely dispersed,
and encircled by a sclerenchymatous bundle sheath, (b) phloem parenchyma
is absent. What will you find it as?
Ans: The plant material is identified as a monocot stem.

7. Why are phloem and xylem known as complex tissues?

Ans: Complex Tissues are made up of more than one type of cell and these work
together as a unit. Xylem elements are responsible for the conduction of water
and mineral salts from the roots to the other parts of the plant.
Xylem elements are highly lignified and dead except xylem parenchyma. It
consists of:
i) Xylem vessels
ii) Xylem tracheids
iii) Xylem fibres
iv) Xylem parenchyma

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 Fig: Complex tissue – Xylem
Phloem is a complex tissue associated with the translocation of food. Phloem
elements are living except phloem fibres. It consists of:
i) Sieve tubes
ii) Companion cells
iii) Phloem fibres
iv) Phloem parenchyma

Fig: Complex tissue– Phloem.

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8. What is the stomatal apparatus? With the help of diagrammatic
representation describe the structure of stomata and label its parts.
Ans: The stomatal apparatus comprises the following parts.
• A small aperture or opening present in the epidermal cells of the leaf called
stoma. This is also called a stomatal aperture (singular- stoma, plural –
stomata).
• Two bean-shaped guard cells surrounding the stomatal aperture. (It is to be
noted that guard cells are dumbbell-shaped in monocots and bean-shaped
in dicots.)
• Subsidiary cells – These are specific epidermal cells in the vicinity of guard
cells.
Function:
• Change in the turgidity or flaccidity of the guard cells is associated with
stomatal opening and closure.
• Stomata are essentially involved in gaseous exchange and transpiration.

Fig: Stomatal apparatus

9. Mention the three fundamental tissue systems in the flowering plants.

Provide the tissue names under each system.
Ans:
● The three basic tissue systems in flowering plants are the epidermal tissue

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 system, ground tissue system, and vascular tissue system.
● The epidermal tissue system comprises epidermal cells, stomata,
trichomes, and hairs.
● The ground tissue system is composed of the endodermis, cortex, pith,
pericycle, and medullary rays, in the primary stems and roots.
● In leaves, the ground tissue is comprised of thin-walled chloroplast-which
contains the cells and is known as mesophyll.
● The vascular tissue system is composed of complex tissues, the xylem, and
the phloem.

10. In what way is the study of plant anatomy beneficial to us?

Ans:
● The study of plant anatomy helps to understand structural adaptations in
plants with respect to their different environmental conditions.
● It also helps us in differentiating between monocots, dicots, and
gymnosperms. This gives us an idea of the physiological state of the plants
and so can be useful in crop improvement.
● Internal structures also help us to predict the strength of wood and hence its
utility for commercial activities.
● Study of plant fibres such as jute, flax, and hemp, etc. may prove useful in
their business-related exploitation.

11. What is periderm? How does periderm development occur in the dicot
stems?
Ans: Periderm is a protective layer present outside the stem that replaces the
epidermal layer in response to any injury or invasion of pathogens.
Phelloderm, phellogen, and phellem together constitute the periderm. Dicot stems
produce phellogen or cork cambium in the external cortical cells. Phellogen cells
split on both the inner side and the outer side to form secondary tissues. The
secondary tissue produced on the inner side of the phellogen is known as the
phelloderm or secondary cortex. On the outer side, phellogen produces phellem

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or cork.

12. Define the inner structure of a dorsiventral leaf by using a labeled

diagram.
Ans:

Fig: Internal Structure of a dorsiventral leaf.

Dorsiventral leaves are found in dicots. The significant anatomical characteristics

of dorsiventral leaves are discussed below:
(a) Upper epidermis: This is usually the outermost single made of
parenchymatous cells. The epidermal cells have sometimes outgrowths known
as papillae, e.g., in Gladiolus. The epidermal cells are devoid of chloroplast
and stomata are absent on the top epidermis.
(b) Lower epidermis: It is the same as the upper epidermis but here stomata are
present. Chloroplasts are absent in the bottom epidermis also, except the guard
cells of stomata.
(c) Mesophyll: In between the lower and upper epidermis mesophyll tissues is
present which can be split into two regions:
i. Palisade parenchyma: These are lengthened columnar cells without
intercellular spaces. These contain chloroplast in them and are usually
arranged in two layers.

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 ii. Spongy parenchyma: It is found below palisade parenchyma and is oval
or spherical with intercellular spaces. They also contain chloroplasts but
several chloroplasts are more in palisade parenchyma than spongy
parenchyma.
(d) Vascular bundles: Vascular bundles are usually found at the boundary
between the spongy and the palisade regions. The vascular bundle in the
midrib area is the largest. Vascular bundles are collateral, conjoint, and closed.
Each vascular bundle is encircled by a bundle sheath of parenchymatous cells.
In the vascular bundle, phloem is found towards the lower epidermis and the
xylem is present towards the top epidermis. Additionally, in the xylem, the
protoxylem is towards the uppermost epidermis.

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