Biology · Anatomy of Flowering Plants · NEET
| Cell division | Cells actively divide to form new cells | Cells have stopped dividing |
| Living/dead | Always living | May be living (parenchyma, collenchyma) or dead (sclerenchyma, vessels) |
| Vacuole | Absent or very small | Usually large, prominent |
| Cell wall | Thin | Thin or thick, often specialised |
| Cytoplasm | Dense, with large nucleus | Less dense, or none if dead |
| Main function | Growth (adds new cells) | Support, storage, transport, protection |
| Examples | Apical, intercalary, lateral meristem | Parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma, xylem, phloem |
Meristematic tissue is always living. Its cells have thin walls, dense cytoplasm (protoplasm) and a large nucleus, with little or no vacuole. Living cells are needed because only living cells can divide. NEET often tests this: the dividing cells at the root and shoot tip are all alive.
No. Permanent tissue cells have lost the power of division. They came from meristematic cells that stopped dividing and became fixed in shape and function. This is why permanent tissue does the real work of the plant (support, storage, transport) while meristem only makes new cells.
Meristematic tissue does. Apical meristem at the root tip and shoot tip divides to add new cells, making the plant longer (primary growth). Intercalary meristem at the base of internodes and leaves also adds length, as in grasses. Permanent tissue does not add growth in length.
When a meristematic cell stops dividing and takes a fixed shape and job, it becomes a permanent cell. This process is called differentiation. For NEET, remember the reverse too: a mature living cell can sometimes regain the power to divide, which is called dedifferentiation (for example, forming interfascicular cambium).
No, this is a common trap. Permanent tissue can be living or dead. Parenchyma and collenchyma are living permanent tissues. Sclerenchyma (fibres and sclereids) and mature xylem vessels are dead. So 'permanent' means 'stopped dividing', not 'dead'.
Match List-I with List-II. List-I: (a) Cells with active cell division capacity (b) Tissue having all cells similar in structure and function (c) Tissue having different type of cells (d) Dead cells with highly thickened walls and narrow lumen List-II: (i) Vascular Tissues (ii) Meristematic tissues (iii) Sclereids (iv) Simple Tissue
Given below are two statements. Statement I: Parenchyma is living but collenchyma is dead tissue. Statement II: Gymnosperms lack xylem vessels but presence of xylem vessels is the characteristic of angiosperms. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer.
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
Meristematic tissue cells keep dividing to make new cells for growth. Permanent tissue cells have stopped dividing and have a fixed shape and job like support, storage or transport.
Meristematic tissue: apical meristem at the root and shoot tip. Permanent tissue: parenchyma (simple) and xylem (complex).
Permanent tissue cells often have large vacuoles and thicker or specialised walls. Meristematic cells have little or no vacuole, thin walls and dense cytoplasm.
Permanent tissue is of two types: simple permanent tissue (one cell type, like parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma) and complex permanent tissue (many cell types, like xylem and phloem).
Yes. A living mature cell can regain the power to divide. This is called dedifferentiation, for example when interfascicular cambium or cork cambium forms during secondary growth.
