Question

Discuss few contrasting characters of parenchyma and sclerenchyma.

Answer 1

Parenchyma is a simple tissue, the cells of which are usually isodiametric, oval, circular or polygonal with intercellular spaces. They are living cells with relatively thin primary cell walls. Sclerenchyma is also a simple tissue composed of thick-wailed, often lignified prosenchymatous cells. The mature sclerenchyma cells differ from parenchyma cells in the presence of lignified secondary walls and the absence of living protoplast.