75 practice questions on Anatomy of Flowering Plants, sorted Easy → Hard. Try each one first, then open its answer page for the worked explanation. Want the full theory first? Read the Anatomy of Flowering Plants notes.
🔬 Biology · Class 11 · NEET
Anatomy of Flowering Plants - Practice Questions with Answers
75 free MCQs on Anatomy of Flowering Plants, each with its own worked answer and explanation. Internal tissue organisation: meristems, permanent tissues (xylem, phloem, parenchyma), and secondary growth. Frequently tested in NEET.
Take the timed Anatomy of Flowering Plants chapterwise test →Easy - 25 questions
Q1.
Which phloem cells are living but lose their nucleus at maturity?
- A Sieve tube elements
- B Companion cells
- C Xylem vessels
- D Sclereid fibres
Q2.
Root hairs that absorb water are outgrowths of the root's:
- A Cortex
- B Epidermis
- C Pericycle
- D Endodermis
Q3.
The photosynthetic tissue lying between the two epidermal layers of a leaf is the:
- A Cortex
- B Pith
- C Mesophyll
- D Periderm
Q4.
The dead, tubular water-conducting elements of the xylem are the:
- A Sieve tubes
- B Companion cells
- C Guard cells
- D Vessels and tracheids
Q5.
The region just behind the root tip where cells lengthen is the zone of:
- A Elongation
- B Maturation
- C Root cap
- D Absorption
Q6.
Which tissue in plants is responsible for growth?
- A Permanent tissue
- B Protective tissue
- C Meristematic tissue
- D Vascular tissue
Q7.
What is the function of xylem in plants?
- A Transport food sugars from leaves down to roots
- B Transport water and minerals from roots to leaves
- C Provide structural support to the stem alone
- D Store starch reserves within the pith tissue
Q8.
Which plant tissue transports food (sugars) from leaves to other parts?
- A Xylem
- B Phloem
- C Parenchyma
- D Collenchyma
Q9.
What is the primary function of leaves?
- A Water absorption from the surrounding soil
- B Anchorage of the plant within the soil
- C Photosynthesis and gas exchange
- D Reproduction occurring only through flowers
Q10.
The outermost layer of a plant root is called
- A Endodermis
- B Cortex
- C Epidermis
- D Pericycle
Q11.
Which of the following is a modification of the root for breathing?
- A Prop root
- B Tap root
- C Pneumatophore
- D Fibrous root
Q12.
Parenchyma cells are characterized by
- A Thick cell walls with no living cytoplasm
- B Thin walls and living content at maturity
- C Dead cells with heavily lignified secondary walls
- D Tissue found mainly within xylem vessels and tracheids
Q13.
What are prop roots? Give an example.
- A Swollen underground roots that store starch reserves - carrot
- B Adventitious aerial roots that support the stem - banyan tree
- C Spongy aerial roots that take up oxygen from air - mangrove
- D Thin lateral roots that grip and climb vertical surfaces - ivy
Q14.
Collenchyma tissue provides what function in plants?
- A Storage of water in vacuolated parenchyma
- B Structural support in young growing organs
- C Transport of food through sieve elements
- D Reproduction via spore-forming tissue
Q15.
Sclerenchyma cells are
- A Living, thin-walled cells used for storage
- B Dead, thick-walled cells that provide rigid support
- C Chloroplast-containing cells for photosynthesis
- D Elongated cells specialized for conducting water
Q16.
Which zone of the root is responsible for water absorption?
- A Root cap zone, which protects the apical meristem
- B Meristematic zone, where active cell division occurs
- C Elongation zone, where cells increase in length
- D Maturation zone (root hair zone)
Q17.
What is the function of the root cap?
- A Absorb water and minerals through specialized root hair cells
- B Protect the root meristem as it pushes through soil
- C Conduct water and dissolved minerals upward through xylem vessels
- D Perform photosynthesis using chlorophyll in root plastids
Q18.
The plant tissue whose cells actively divide is the:
- A meristematic tissue
- B the permanent tissue
- C the dead tissue
- D the fluid tissue
Q19.
The outermost protective layer of a plant organ is the:
- A epidermis
- B the cortex
- C the pith
- D the xylem
Q20.
The tissue that provides mechanical strength with thick, hard walls is:
- A sclerenchyma
- B parenchyma
- C meristem
- D epidermis
Q21.
The commonest thin-walled packing tissue in plants is:
- A parenchyma
- B sclerenchyma
- C the xylem
- D the phloem
Q22.
Guard cells surround and control the ___ on a leaf:
- A stomata
- B veins
- C surface hairs
- D root tips
Q23.
The vascular tissue that conducts water in a plant is the:
- A xylem
- B phloem
- C cortex
- D epidermis
Q24.
The vascular tissue that conducts food in a plant is the:
- A phloem
- B xylem
- C pith
- D cortex
Q25.
The increase in the girth (thickness) of a stem is brought about by the:
- A cambium
- B apical meristem
- C epidermis
- D cortex
Medium - 25 questions
Q26.
The bulk of the wood in a tree trunk is made of secondary:
- A Phloem
- B Xylem
- C Cortex
- D Pith
Q27.
Bulliform (motor) cells that roll the leaf to cut water loss occur in the epidermis of:
- A Dicot roots
- B Woody stems
- C Monocot (grass) leaves
- D Gymnosperm cones
Q28.
The ground tissue lying between the epidermis and the vascular region is the:
- A Pith
- B Endodermis
- C Pericycle
- D Cortex
Q29.
The lateral meristem that forms the cork of the bark is the:
- A Cork cambium (phellogen)
- B Vascular cambium
- C Apical meristem
- D Intercalary meristem
Q30.
The number of xylem strands in a typical monocot root is:
- A Two to four only
- B Many (polyarch)
- C Always exactly one
- D None at all
Q31.
What is the difference between open and closed vascular bundles in plants?
- A Open bundles have xylem facing outward; closed bundles have phloem facing outward instead
- B Open bundles have cambium (allow secondary growth); closed bundles have no cambium
- C Open bundles occur mainly in monocots; closed bundles occur mainly in dicots
- D Open bundles contain vessels; closed bundles contain mainly tracheids instead
Q32.
What is the Casparian strip and what is its function?
- A A loosely packed waxy band found scattered throughout the entire cortex region of the root in most textbook accounts
- B A waxy band of suberin in the endodermal cell walls that forces water through the symplast pathway
- C A protective lignified layer that encloses and hardens the mature seed coat tissue during normal conditions
- D A corky structure embedded deep within the secondary bark of older woody stems as generally observed
Q33.
In dicot stems, vascular bundles are arranged in a ring and are conjoint, collateral, and open. What does 'conjoint' mean?
- A Xylem and phloem occur as largely separate bundles
- B Xylem and phloem are in the same vascular bundle
- C The bundle contains two distinct xylem groups facing outward
- D The bundle consists mainly of undifferentiated cambium cells
Q34.
What is anomalous secondary growth?
- A The typical, predictable secondary growth pattern that most dicot stems generally follow
- B Secondary growth that does not follow the typical pattern, found in some climbers and monocots
- C Secondary growth that occurs mainly within the root system rather than the stem
- D Vegetative growth occurring within non-vascular mosses and liverworts over time
Q35.
What is the difference between collenchyma and sclerenchyma?
- A Collenchyma cells are dead at maturity; sclerenchyma cells remain living throughout their lifespan in typical laboratory settings
- B Collenchyma has unevenly thickened walls and is living; sclerenchyma has uniformly thickened lignified walls and is dead
- C Both tissue types are dead at maturity, differing mainly in their cell wall thickness and shape under usual circumstances
- D They are functionally and structurally identical tissues, given two different historical names according to most researchers
Q36.
Phloem tissue consists of which cells? (NEET important)
- A Mainly vessels and tracheids, with very few living cells present
- B Sieve tubes, companion cells, phloem fibres, and phloem parenchyma
- C Mainly sieve tubes, with relatively few associated companion cells
- D Vessels, companion cells, and sclerenchyma fibres combined together
Q37.
What are the components of xylem? (NEET important)
- A Sieve tubes and companion cells, both metabolically active
- B Vessels, tracheids, xylem fibres, and xylem parenchyma
- C Only vessels, with no tracheids or fibres present
- D Vessels and sieve tubes combined within one tissue type
Q38.
What is the endodermis and where is it found?
- A Outermost protective layer covering the young root
- B Innermost layer of root cortex surrounding the vascular bundle
- C Middle photosynthetic layer found within the leaf mesophyll
- D Outer corky layer forming part of the stem bark
Q39.
A leaf with leaflets arranged on both sides of a common axis like a feather is called
- A Palmate compound leaf
- B Pinnate compound leaf
- C Trifoliate
- D Bifoliate
Q40.
What is stomata and how do guard cells regulate it?
- A Pores embedded deep within the corky bark of mature woody perennial stems
- B Pores in leaf epidermis regulated by guard cell turgor - open when guard cells are turgid
- C A thin tubular extension of the epidermis that forms a single absorptive root hair
- D A specialized sugar-conducting cell type found within the phloem sieve tube
Q41.
What is the pericycle and what does it give rise to?
- A The outermost cortex layer, which gradually differentiates into the corky outer bark over time
- B Outermost layer of vascular cylinder - gives rise to lateral roots and part of vascular cambium
- C An innermost epidermal layer that directly protects the central vascular cylinder structure
- D Undifferentiated storage parenchyma tissue scattered throughout the entire root cortex region
Q42.
What is the difference between primary and secondary growth in plants?
- A Primary growth occurs mainly in roots; secondary growth occurs mainly in stems in the majority of cases studied
- B Primary = increase in length (apical meristems); secondary = increase in girth (lateral meristems)
- C Primary growth is seen mainly in angiosperms; secondary growth mainly in gymnosperms as widely reported
- D Primary growth is mostly vegetative; secondary growth is mostly reproductive in nature in standard practice
Q43.
Which type of venation is found in Calophyllum (a dicot) that appears similar to parallel venation?
- A Pinnate venation
- B Unicostate reticulate venation
- C Multicostate parallel venation
- D Palmate reticulate venation
Q44.
What is chlorenchyma?
- A A continuously dividing meristematic tissue located at the tip of the shoot apex
- B Parenchyma cells containing chloroplasts; the main site of photosynthesis in leaves
- C Thick-walled, lignified supporting tissue found in mature woody stem regions
- D Vacuolated storage parenchyma specialized for holding large reserves of water
Q45.
Collenchyma provides flexible support and has cells with ___ thickened at their corners:
- A cellulose
- B some lignin
- C some chitin
- D some silica
Q46.
The central region of a dicot stem is called the:
- A pith
- B cortex
- C epidermis
- D xylem
Q47.
Xylem and phloem together make up the ___ tissue of a plant:
- A vascular
- B ground
- C dermal
- D meristematic
Q48.
The annual rings seen in a cut tree trunk are produced by the activity of the:
- A cambium
- B cortex
- C pith
- D epidermis
Q49.
In a monocot stem, the vascular bundles are:
- A scattered
- B arranged in a ring
- C completely absent
- D fused into one
Q50.
In a dicot stem, the vascular bundles are arranged in a:
- A ring
- B scattered manner
- C random pile
- D single straight line
Hard - 25 questions
Q51.
Xylem and phloem lying on separate radii (a radial arrangement) is typical of the:
- A Dicot stem
- B Monocot stem
- C Root
- D Dicot leaf
Q52.
Removing a complete ring of bark (girdling) kills a tree because it cuts off the:
- A The outer cuticle
- B The apical bud
- C The root cap
- D The phloem in the bark
Q53.
The first-formed primary xylem, having narrower elements, is called the:
- A Protoxylem
- B Metaxylem
- C Secondary xylem
- D Heartwood
Q54.
In the exarch condition seen in roots, the protoxylem lies towards the:
- A The centre (pith)
- B The periphery (outside)
- C The phloem side
- D No fixed place
Q55.
In a monocot stem, each vascular bundle is surrounded by a sheath of:
- A Loose cortex cells
- B Large pith cells
- C Thick-walled sclerenchyma
- D Casparian strips
Q56.
What is the significance of the endogenous origin of lateral roots?
- A Lateral roots are sometimes mistakenly thought to arise from the outer epidermis, growing outward without disturbing internal tissue
- B Lateral roots arise from deep pericycle cells, allowing them to push through cortex and epidermis, ensuring strong anchoring
- C Lateral roots are sometimes mistakenly thought to arise spontaneously, carrying no real developmental or anchoring significance
- D Lateral roots are sometimes mistakenly thought to arise mainly from endodermal cells without much pericycle involvement
Q57.
In secondary growth of dicot stem, what is the role of the vascular cambium?
- A It is sometimes mistakenly thought to produce mainly secondary phloem outwardly, with little inward xylem production
- B It produces secondary xylem (wood) inwardly and secondary phloem outwardly, increasing girth
- C It is sometimes mistakenly thought to produce mainly cork cells outward, replacing the epidermis each season
- D It is sometimes mistakenly thought to produce a largely new layer of epidermis to replace the damaged outer surface
Q58.
What is the difference between heartwood (duramen) and sapwood (alburnum)?
- A Heartwood is sometimes mistakenly thought to be the newer wood formed each season; sapwood the older wood near the bark
- B Heartwood is older, darker, non-conducting, impregnated with tannins; sapwood is younger, lighter, still conducts water
- C Both heartwood and sapwood are sometimes mistakenly thought to be functionally identical in conduction and support
- D Heartwood is sometimes mistakenly thought to be located within the outer bark layer; sapwood occupying the central stem region
Q59.
What is the apoplast pathway and symplast pathway in roots?
- A Apoplast is sometimes mistakenly thought to move water mainly through cell membranes; symplast mainly through cell walls
- B Apoplast = through cell walls and intercellular spaces (no membranes crossed); symplast = through connected cytoplasm via plasmodesmata
- C Apoplast and symplast are sometimes mistakenly thought to describe the exact same single continuous transport pathway in plant roots
- D Apoplast is sometimes mistakenly thought to transport mainly dissolved mineral ions; symplast mainly free water molecules
Q60.
What is the significance of companion cells in phloem?
- A They are sometimes mistakenly thought to carry water upward from the root system to the leaves through lignified xylem vessels in general practice
- B They are metabolically active cells that regulate sieve tube elements, loading and unloading sugars, and maintaining sieve tube function
- C They are sometimes mistakenly thought to form mainly the rigid, lignified structural cell wall surrounding the phloem bundle as frequently described
- D They are sometimes mistakenly thought to function mainly as inert storage cells that passively hold starch reserves in phloem in most textbook accounts
Q61.
How does the annual ring pattern in wood record climate history (dendrochronology)?
- A Ring width is sometimes reported to remain essentially constant and largely unchanging regardless of yearly climate or rainfall conditions year to year
- B Wide rings indicate favorable growth (warm, moist); narrow rings indicate stress (drought, cold). Counting rings gives age; patterns record climate history
- C Every single annual growth ring observed within a tree trunk is sometimes thought to be identical in width across all growth years measured precisely
- D Annual growth rings are sometimes said to form mainly within tropical trees and to be largely absent from temperate climate trees overall
Q62.
What is periderm and how is it formed?
- A It replaces epidermis as plants grow older through activity of cork cambium (phellogen)
- B It is the original protective tissue covering young plants before any secondary growth begins
- C Periderm forms mainly within roots and is largely absent from stems
- D Periderm is generally another name used interchangeably for the original epidermis
Q63.
What is the conjunctive tissue in a root?
- A Parenchyma between xylem and phloem bundles in the vascular cylinder of roots
- B Vascular tissue specifically connecting the root system to the stem at the collar region
- C Specialized companion cells embedded within the phloem sieve tube network
- D Endodermal tissue forming the innermost layer of the root cortex
Q64.
What is the difference between palisade mesophyll and spongy mesophyll in leaves?
- A Palisade and spongy mesophyll are sometimes mistakenly thought to be structurally and functionally identical leaf tissue layers with little real distinction
- B Palisade = columnar cells, densely packed, upper layer, more chloroplasts (primary photosynthesis); spongy = irregular cells, loose with air spaces (gas exchange)
- C Palisade mesophyll is sometimes mistakenly thought to be positioned directly beneath the lower epidermis; spongy mesophyll beneath the upper epidermis
- D Spongy mesophyll is sometimes mistakenly thought to contain substantially more chloroplasts than the palisade layer positioned directly above it
Q65.
What are plasmodesmata and what is their significance?
- A Simple pores embedded within the cell wall that permit mainly passive, largely unregulated diffusion of small dissolved solutes during normal conditions
- B Cytoplasmic channels connecting adjacent plant cells through cell walls, enabling direct cell-to-cell communication and transport (symplast pathway)
- C A specialized membrane structure that surrounds and encloses the large central vacuole found within a typical mature plant cell as generally observed
- D Channels found mainly embedded within the plasma membrane itself, rarely spanning across the rigid surrounding cell wall structure in typical laboratory settings
Q66.
What is the significance of the waxy cuticle on leaves?
- A It is sometimes mistakenly thought to actively perform photosynthesis using embedded chloroplasts within its waxy layer
- B It reduces water loss by transpiration, protects against pathogens, and reflects excess light
- C It is sometimes mistakenly thought to absorb atmospheric water vapor directly into the leaf mesophyll tissue
- D It is sometimes mistakenly thought to provide rigid structural support comparable to lignified sclerenchyma fibres
Q67.
What is the key difference between monocot and dicot root anatomy?
- A Monocot roots are sometimes reported to develop a true vascular cambium layer; dicot roots are said to largely lack one altogether under usual circumstances
- B Dicot roots have limited vascular bundles (2-4 protoxylem poles); monocot roots have numerous vascular bundles (polyarch) arranged in a ring
- C Monocot and dicot root anatomy are sometimes thought to be essentially identical to one another when viewed in cross-section closely according to most researchers
- D Dicot roots are sometimes said to largely lack an endodermal layer surrounding their central vascular cylinder structure altogether in the majority of cases studied
Q68.
What is transfusion tissue in gymnosperm leaves?
- A Specialized xylem vessel elements that are sometimes thought to enable unusually rapid, long-distance lateral water transport throughout
- B Tissue of tracheids and parenchyma surrounding the vascular bundle in gymnosperm leaves, facilitating lateral transport
- C A modified type of guard cell found mainly along the outer leaf margins of conifer species specifically
- D The dense, chlorophyll-bearing mesophyll layer that fills most of the bulk of a typical gymnosperm leaf
Q69.
What is the sunken stomata found in xerophytes and what is its adaptive significance?
- A Stomata that are sometimes thought to be structurally oriented to open mainly in a downward direction toward the soil
- B Stomata in pits or crypts in the leaf surface, creating a humid microenvironment that reduces transpiration in dry habitats
- C Stomata that are sometimes thought to be located mainly on root tissue rather than on the leaf surface itself
- D Stomata that are sometimes thought to have permanently lost most function and remain closed under nearly every condition
Q70.
What is the difference between protoderm, ground meristem, and procambium?
- A All three of these tissues are sometimes mistakenly thought to be lateral meristems responsible mainly for increasing the overall girth of the stem region as widely reported
- B They are the three primary meristems derived from apical meristem: protoderm becomes epidermis, ground meristem becomes cortex/pith, procambium becomes vascular tissue
- C All three of these meristems are sometimes said to arise mainly as secondary meristems after primary growth of the plant has largely finished in standard practice
- D All three meristem types are sometimes thought to be found mainly confined within the root system of the plant, rarely occurring within the shoot under most conditions encountered
Q71.
The waxy layer covering the epidermis that reduces water loss is the:
- A cuticle
- B cambium
- C cortex
- D pith
Q72.
Sclerenchyma cells are dead and have walls thickened with:
- A lignin
- B only cellulose
- C chitin
- D pectin
Q73.
The tissue responsible for secondary growth (increase in girth) in dicots is the vascular:
- A cambium
- B xylem
- C phloem
- D cortex
Q74.
In a dicot root, the vascular bundles are arranged:
- A radially
- B in a scattered way
- C loosely in a ring
- D in a spiral
Q75.
Lenticels in the bark of a woody stem function mainly in:
- A gas exchange
- B water storage
- C photosynthesis
- D mechanical support
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