Question

Hard, lignified, thick, walled, long and pointed cells in plants are

• A. Parenchyma
• B. Sclerenchymatous fibre
• C. Collenchyma
• D. Sclereids

Answer 1

The correct option is B Sclerenchymatous fibre

Parenchyma is thin walled, polyhedral, isodiametric, mostly non-lignified, soft living cells with sufficient cytoplasm and one or more nuclei.

Collenchyma is prismatic or elongated (with pointed ends) cells with thick non-lignified walls; the young cells are elastic while the mature ones are hard and brittle.

Sclerenchyma is thick walled dead lignified cells, they are hard and elastic. The sclerenchyma cells are divided into two groups namely fibers and sclereids. Sclerenchymatous fibers are branched/unbranched, long, hard, pointed cells with tapering ends, thick walls, and narrow lumen.

Sclereids are isodiametric, hard cells (due to the presence of higher amount of lignin) with a narrow lumen and are grouped according to their various shapes.

So, the correct answer is option B.