Question

Consider the following statements
(a) Xylem transports water and minerals
(b) Gymnosperms lack sieve tubes and companion cells in phloem
(c) First formed primary xylem is called metaxylem
(d) Phloem fibres (bast fibres) are made of collenchyma
Of these statements

• A. a and c alone are correct
• B. a and b alone are correct
• C. c and d alone are correct
• D. a and d alone are correct
• E. b and c alone are correct.

Answer 1

The correct option is B a and b alone are correct

Plants have two systems for the transportation of substances - using two different types of transport tissue. Xylem transports water and solutes from the roots to the leaves, while phloem transports food from the leaves to the rest of the plant. Sieve cells are long, conducting cells in the phloem that do not form sieve tubes. Their narrow pores are necessary in their function in most seedless vascular plants and gymnosperms which lack sieve-tube members and only have sieve cells to transport molecules.

So, the correct answer is 'a and b alone are correct.'