Question

Choose the correct answers from the alternatives given.
In early wood, cells have ...... diameters and ....... walls

• A. Small; thick
• B. Large; thick
• C. Small; thin
• D. Large; thin

Answer 1

The correct option is D Large; thin

Growth rings in the secondary xylem of temperate woody angiosperms are usually annual, but under environmental fluctuations, such as drought, more than one can form, or none at all. Growth rings result from the difference in density between the early wood (spring wood) and the latewood (summer wood).

Earlywood is porous, and made up of thin-walled cells, compared to latewood, which is influenced by colder temperatures and drier conditions. Earlywood is less dense because the cells are larger and their walls are thinner.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Large; thin'.