Question

We get a crunchy and granular feeling, when we chew pear fruit because of the

• A. Presence of stone cells (sclerenchyma)
• B. Presence of stone cells (parenchyma)
• C. Presence of stone cells (collenchyma)
• D. Presence of stone cells (aerenchyma)

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Presence of stone cells (sclerenchyma)

• Parenchyma cells are live, thin-walled cells. They are present in soft parts of the plant. But pear fruit has hard parts inside, which give it a gritty texture. Therefore, option B is incorrect.
• Collenchyma cells are thin-walled with some areas of secondary thickening. They provide extra structural support and flexibility to plant. Therefore, option C is incorrect.
• Aerenchyma cells are present in an aquatic plant. Such cells have large air cavities, which enable the plant to float in water.
• Sclereid is a reduced form of sclerenchyma, which has thickened lignified walls. In pear fruit, sclereid cells are present in bundles, which give a gritty texture to the fruit. Such cells are also called "stone cells" because of their hardness.

So, the correct answer is option A.