Biology · Anatomy of Flowering Plants · NEET
It has three parts: (1) the epidermis, the outermost single layer of cells that covers roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits; (2) the stomata, tiny pores for gas exchange; and (3) the epidermal appendages, which are outgrowths like trichomes (on the shoot) and root hairs (on the root). For NEET, remember it as epidermis + stomata + appendages.
The epidermis is a layer of living cells, usually one cell thick, that forms the outer boundary of the plant. The cuticle is not a cell layer at all: it is a thin, waxy covering (made of cutin) that the epidermal cells secrete on their outer surface. So epidermis = cells, cuticle = the waxy coat on top of those cells. The cuticle checks water loss.
The root's job is to absorb water and minerals from the soil. A waxy cuticle would block that absorption. So the root epidermis (called epiblema) has no cuticle and instead bears root hairs to increase the surface area for absorption. The cuticle is found mainly on the aerial parts like the stem and leaf, where saving water matters.
In most plants, yes, the epidermis is a single continuous layer of cells. This is the standard NCERT statement you should use for NEET. Some plants can have a multi-layered epidermis, but for the exam treat the epidermis as usually one cell thick.
Yes. Both belong to the epidermal tissue system. Root hairs are unicellular outgrowths of the root epidermal cells that absorb water and minerals. Stomata are pores in the epidermis (mostly of leaves) guarded by guard cells for gas exchange and transpiration. Both are features of the plant's outer covering.
Its main job is protection. It forms the outermost barrier that protects inner tissues, checks water loss with the help of the cuticle, allows gas exchange through stomata, and helps absorb water through root hairs. For NEET, link each part to a function: cuticle = stops water loss, stomata = gas exchange, root hairs = absorption.
Root hairs develop from the region of
Specialized epidermal cells surrounding the guard cells are called:
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
The epidermal cells of the aerial (above-ground) parts secrete the cuticle. It is a waxy layer of cutin on their outer surface that reduces water loss.
No. The root epidermis (epiblema) lacks a cuticle so it can absorb water and minerals, and it bears root hairs instead.
The epidermis is made of living cells, usually one layer thick. The cuticle on top of it is a non-living waxy secretion.
They are outgrowths of the epidermis. On the shoot they are called trichomes (hair-like, usually multicellular), and on the root they are the unicellular root hairs.
It is the base of the whole chapter's tissue-system section. Questions on cuticle, stomata, subsidiary cells, root hairs and trichomes all come from this one system, so knowing its three parts helps you answer many PYQs.
