Question

The complementary cells occur in?

• A. Pericycle
• B. Pith
• C. Lenticels
• D. Endodermis

Answer 1

The correct option is C

Lenticels

The correct option is C.

Explanation of the correct option:

1. Lenticels are the pores present in the bark of woody plants.
2. They primarily serve to facilitate gas exchange.
3. On the bark's surface, the lenticels are elevated scars with oblong or spherical depressions.
4. They contain complementary cells.
5. These cells develop from the cork cambium where the lenticels reside.
6. It is a collection of irregularly positioned cells that facilitate gas exchange through the cork.

Explanation of the incorrect options:

Option A:

1. The outermost portion of the stele of plants is called the pericycle, which is a cylinder of parenchyma or sclerenchyma cells that resides just inside the endodermis.
2. By dividing quickly close to the xylem components of the root, the pericycle controls the development of lateral roots.

Option B:

1. Vascular plants have a tissue in their stems known as the pith or medulla.
2. Soft, spongy parenchyma cells, which make up pith, can occasionally store starch.

Option D:

1. It is an inner layer of cells encircling a vascular bundle in the cortex of a root and some stems.
2. It is a cylindrical structure made of tightly packed living cells, the radial walls of which are coated in hydrophobic materials to prevent apoplastic water flow into the interior.
3. The stele and cortex are separated by the endodermis.

Final answer: Therefore, complementary cells occur in lenticels.