🌱 Anatomy of Flowering Plants — MCQs

Part 1 (Q1–Q25)

Q1. Study of internal structure of plants is called

A) Morphology
B) Cytology
C) Anatomy ✅
D) Embryology

Explanation: Plant anatomy deals with internal organization of tissues in organs like root, stem, leaf.

Q2. Meristems responsible for increase in length are

A) Apical meristems ✅
B) Intercalary meristems
C) Lateral meristems
D) Secondary meristems

Explanation: Apical meristems at root and shoot tips cause primary growth (length).

Q3. Intercalary meristems are typically found at

A) Root tip
B) Leaf apex
C) Nodes and internodes of grasses ✅
D) Flower base

Explanation: Intercalary meristems (a type of primary meristem) occur at nodes/internodes in monocot grasses enabling rapid elongation.

Q4. Increase in girth of stem is mainly due to activity of

A) Apical meristem
B) Intercalary meristem
C) Vascular cambium ✅
D) Protoderm

Explanation: Lateral meristem (vascular cambium) brings about secondary growth, increasing thickness.

Q5. Which is a simple permanent tissue?

A) Xylem
B) Phloem
C) Parenchyma ✅
D) Epidermis

Explanation: Parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma are simple tissues; xylem & phloem are complex.

Q6. Cells with unevenly thickened cell walls rich in pectin are

A) Parenchyma
B) Collenchyma ✅
C) Sclerenchyma
D) Tracheids

Explanation: Collenchyma has uneven pectocellulosic thickenings, providing flexible support.

Q7. Dead cells with lignified secondary walls providing rigidity are

A) Parenchyma
B) Collenchyma
C) Sclerenchyma ✅
D) Companion cells

Explanation: Sclerenchyma (fibres & sclereids) are dead at maturity, thick and lignified.

Q8. Water conduction in angiosperms occurs mainly through

A) Tracheids
B) Vessels ✅
C) Sieve tubes
D) Fibres

Explanation: Vessel elements are the chief water-conducting cells in angiosperms; tracheids dominate in gymnosperms.

Q9. Which element of xylem is living?

A) Vessels
B) Tracheids
C) Xylem fibres
D) Xylem parenchyma ✅

Explanation: Xylem parenchyma is living; others (vessels, tracheids, fibres) are dead at maturity.

Q10. The sieve tube elements lack

A) Cytoplasm
B) Nucleus ✅
C) Sieve plates
D) P-protein

Explanation: Sieve tubes are living but enucleate; nucleus is functionally provided by companion cells.

Q11. Casparian strips are present in

A) Cortex
B) Epidermis
C) Endodermis ✅
D) Pericycle

Explanation: Endodermal cells possess suberinized Casparian bands controlling apoplastic flow into stele.

Q12. In a dicot root, xylem and phloem are arranged

A) Conjoint collateral
B) Bicollateral
C) Radial ✅
D) Concentric

Explanation: In roots, vascular bundles are radial (xylem and phloem in separate, alternate radii).

Q13. Protoxylem position in typical roots is

A) Endarch
B) Mesarch
C) Exarch ✅
D) Centarch

Explanation: Exarch condition (protoxylem towards periphery) is characteristic of roots.

Q14. The protective tissue formed during secondary growth replacing epidermis is

A) Cork (phellem) ✅
B) Hypodermis
C) Endodermis
D) Pericycle

Explanation: Phellogen (cork cambium) cuts phellem (cork) outward and phelloderm inward—together called periderm.

Q15. Annual rings in wood are due to

A) Activity of apical meristem
B) Seasonal activity of cambium ✅
C) Activity of endodermis
D) Activity of pith

Explanation: Alternation of spring (early) wood and autumn (late) wood each year forms growth rings.

Q16. Heartwood differs from sapwood in being

A) More active in conduction
B) Dark, non-conducting and impregnated with tyloses/resins ✅
C) Lighter and soft
D) More susceptible to decay

Explanation: Heartwood is old, dark, hard, non-functional; sapwood conducts water.

Q17. A bicollateral vascular bundle occurs in

A) Mustard
B) Sunflower
C) Cucurbita ✅
D) Maize

Explanation: Cucurbits show bicollateral bundles (phloem on both sides of xylem).

Q18. Open vascular bundles (with cambium) are typical of

A) Monocot stem
B) Dicot stem ✅
C) Dicot root only
D) Monocot root

Explanation: Dicot stems have open, conjoint, collateral bundles allowing secondary growth.

Q19. Bulliform (motor) cells are characteristic of

A) Dicot leaves
B) Gymnosperm needles
C) Monocot leaves (grasses) ✅
D) Hydrophytes only

Explanation: Bulliform cells on monocot leaves help in leaf rolling to reduce water loss.

Q20. Kranz anatomy is associated with

A) C₃ leaves
B) CAM leaves
C) C₄ leaves ✅
D) Hydrophytes

Explanation: C₄ plants (e.g., maize, sorghum) show Kranz anatomy with bundle sheath chloroplast-rich cells.

Q21. Stomata of dicot leaves are generally

A) More on upper surface
B) More on lower surface ✅
C) Equal on both surfaces
D) Absent

Explanation: Dicot leaves are typically hypostomatic, minimizing transpiration.

Q22. In a typical monocot stem, hypodermis is

A) Parenchymatous
B) Collenchymatous
C) Sclerenchymatous ✅
D) Meristematic

Explanation: Monocot stems (e.g., maize) have sclerenchymatous hypodermis and scattered closed bundles.

Q23. The tissue that gives rise to lateral roots is

A) Endodermis
B) Pericycle ✅
C) Cortex
D) Pith

Explanation: Pericycle in roots is meristematic, initiating lateral root primordia.

Q24. Lenticels function in

A) Water conduction
B) Translocation of food
C) Gaseous exchange in woody stems ✅
D) Storage of starch

Explanation: Lenticels are aerating pores in periderm allowing gas exchange.

Q25. Tyloses are

A) Outgrowths of sieve tubes
B) Balloon-like outgrowths of parenchyma into xylem vessels ✅
C) Pits in tracheids
D) Thickening materials

Explanation: Axial/ray parenchyma protrude into vessel lumina forming tyloses, helping heartwood formation.

🌿 Anatomy of Flowering Plants — MCQs

Part 2 (Q26–Q50)

Q26. In a dicot stem, the endodermis is also called

A) Epiblema
B) Starch sheath ✅
C) Pericycle
D) Pith

Explanation: In dicot stems, endodermis cells store starch, hence termed starch sheath.

Q27. In a dicot stem, vascular bundles are

A) Radial
B) Conjoint, collateral, open ✅
C) Conjoint, closed
D) Concentric

Explanation: Dicot stems (sunflower) have conjoint, collateral, open bundles with cambium.

Q28. In a monocot stem, vascular bundles are

A) Scattered, closed ✅
B) Radial, open
C) Collateral, open
D) Concentric

Explanation: Monocot stems (maize) have scattered vascular bundles without cambium (closed).

Q29. The innermost layer of cortex is

A) Epidermis
B) Endodermis ✅
C) Pericycle
D) Phloem

Explanation: Endodermis separates cortex from the stele.

Q30. Companion cells are absent in

A) Angiosperms xylem
B) Angiosperms phloem of monocots
C) Gymnosperms phloem ✅
D) Dicot leaves

Explanation: Gymnosperms lack sieve tubes and companion cells, instead having albuminous cells.

Q31. Which element of phloem controls the sieve tube?

A) Phloem fibres
B) Phloem parenchyma
C) Companion cells ✅
D) Bast

Explanation: Companion cells maintain the metabolic activity of sieve tubes.

Q32. Which plant tissue lacks lignin?

A) Collenchyma ✅
B) Sclerenchyma
C) Xylem fibres
D) Tracheids

Explanation: Collenchyma has pectocellulosic thickening, not lignified.

Q33. Interfascicular cambium arises from

A) Epidermis
B) Medullary rays ✅
C) Endodermis
D) Pericycle

Explanation: Interfascicular cambium forms from parenchyma of medullary rays between vascular bundles.

Q34. Cork cambium is also known as

A) Vascular cambium
B) Phellogen ✅
C) Periderm
D) Phelloderm

Explanation: Phellogen (cork cambium) cuts cork outward and phelloderm inward.

Q35. Which is the living mechanical tissue?

A) Parenchyma
B) Collenchyma ✅
C) Sclerenchyma
D) Tracheids

Explanation: Collenchyma provides support while being living and flexible.

Q36. Guard cells are modified

A) Tracheids
B) Parenchyma ✅
C) Collenchyma
D) Fibres

Explanation: Guard cells are specialized parenchymatous cells controlling stomatal pore.

Q37. Secondary xylem is produced by

A) Apical meristem
B) Cork cambium
C) Vascular cambium ✅
D) Endodermis

Explanation: Vascular cambium produces secondary xylem inside and secondary phloem outside.

Q38. The wood formed in spring season is

A) Autumn wood
B) Heartwood
C) Sapwood
D) Early wood ✅

Explanation: Early (spring) wood has wider vessels, lighter in colour, formed in growing season.

Q39. Late wood differs from early wood in having

A) Narrow lumen & thick walls ✅
B) Wide lumen & thin walls
C) More vessels
D) More parenchyma

Explanation: Late (autumn) wood has narrow vessels, thick walls, making it denser.

Q40. Dendrochronology is the study of

A) Heartwood
B) Annual rings ✅
C) Cork cambium
D) Sapwood

Explanation: Dendrochronology uses annual growth rings to determine age of a tree.

Q41. Periderm includes

A) Cork only
B) Phellogen, phellem, phelloderm ✅
C) Pericycle and cork
D) Cambium and xylem

Explanation: Periderm = phellogen (cork cambium) + phellem (cork) + phelloderm (secondary cortex).

Q42. Hardest part of a tree trunk is

A) Sapwood
B) Heartwood ✅
C) Cambium
D) Phloem

Explanation: Heartwood is hard, dark, non-conducting wood with deposits.

Q43. Polyarch xylem is a characteristic of

A) Dicot root
B) Monocot root ✅
C) Dicot stem
D) Monocot stem

Explanation: Monocot roots have many (polyarch) xylem bundles.

Q44. Exarch protoxylem occurs in

A) Stem
B) Root ✅
C) Leaf
D) Petiole

Explanation: Roots have exarch protoxylem (protoxylem towards periphery).

Q45. Endarch protoxylem occurs in

A) Stem ✅
B) Root
C) Leaf
D) Both A & C

Explanation: In stems, protoxylem lies towards centre (endarch).

Q46. The secondary xylem of gymnosperms is

A) Porous
B) Non-porous ✅
C) Soft
D) Diffuse

Explanation: Gymnosperm wood lacks vessels (non-porous), consisting only of tracheids.

Q47. Albuminous cells are associated with

A) Sieve tubes in angiosperms
B) Sieve cells in gymnosperms ✅
C) Tracheids in gymnosperms
D) Companion cells

Explanation: Gymnosperms have sieve cells + albuminous cells instead of sieve tubes + companion cells.

Q48. Passage cells are found in

A) Cortex
B) Endodermis ✅
C) Pericycle
D) Phloem

Explanation: Passage cells in endodermis (opposite protoxylem) remain unsuberized for water conduction.

Q49. Which wood is commercially valuable?

A) Sapwood
B) Heartwood ✅
C) Early wood
D) Phloem

Explanation: Heartwood is durable, resistant, and commercially used as timber.

Q50. Which of the following does not conduct water?

A) Vessels
B) Tracheids
C) Xylem fibres ✅
D) Xylem parenchyma

Explanation: Xylem fibres provide support only; they are dead, non-conducting.

🌿 Anatomy of Flowering Plants — MCQs

Part 3 (Q51–Q75)

Q51. The cuticle on leaf epidermis is made of

A) Cellulose
B) Suberin
C) Cutin ✅
D) Lignin

Explanation: The cuticle covering epidermis is made of cutin, a waxy, water-resistant material.

Q52. Stomata in monocots are usually

A) Randomly scattered
B) More on lower surface
C) Equally distributed on both surfaces ✅
D) Absent

Explanation: Monocot leaves are typically isobilateral with stomata on both surfaces.

Q53. In dicot root, vascular bundles are

A) Collateral and open
B) Radial, exarch ✅
C) Concentric
D) Bicollateral

Explanation: Dicot roots have radial vascular bundles with exarch xylem.

Q54. In monocot stem, hypodermis is composed of

A) Parenchyma
B) Collenchyma
C) Sclerenchyma ✅
D) Meristematic cells

Explanation: Monocot stems (maize) have sclerenchymatous hypodermis beneath epidermis.

Q55. Bundle sheath is conspicuous in

A) Dicot stem
B) Monocot leaf ✅
C) Dicot root
D) Dicot leaf

Explanation: Monocot leaves (like maize) have bundle sheath cells, prominent in C₄ plants.

Q56. Which vascular tissue is absent in monocots?

A) Vessels
B) Companion cells
C) Cambium ✅
D) Sieve tubes

Explanation: Monocot bundles are closed (no cambium), hence no secondary growth.

Q57. Xylem fibres are also called

A) Wood fibres ✅
B) Bast fibres
C) Albuminous cells
D) Phloem parenchyma

Explanation: Xylem fibres are supportive dead fibres also called wood fibres.

Q58. Sieve tube elements and companion cells are absent in

A) Monocots
B) Dicots
C) Gymnosperms ✅
D) Angiosperms

Explanation: Gymnosperms have sieve cells with albuminous cells instead of sieve tubes + companion cells.

Q59. The cork cells are impermeable to water because of

A) Cellulose
B) Lignin
C) Suberin ✅
D) Cutin

Explanation: Cork cell walls have suberin, making them waterproof.

Q60. Which meristem is responsible for secondary growth in dicot stem?

A) Apical meristem
B) Intercalary meristem
C) Vascular cambium ✅
D) Phellogen

Explanation: Vascular cambium produces secondary xylem and phloem.

Q61. Commercial cork is obtained from

A) Oak tree (Quercus suber) ✅
B) Mango
C) Eucalyptus
D) Teak

Explanation: Quercus suber (cork oak) provides commercial cork.

Q62. Secondary growth is generally absent in

A) Dicot stems
B) Gymnosperms
C) Monocot stems ✅
D) Dicot roots

Explanation: Monocot stems have closed bundles, no cambium, so no secondary growth.

Q63. The first-formed primary xylem elements are

A) Metaxylem
B) Protoxylem ✅
C) Phloem
D) Tracheids

Explanation: Protoxylem forms first, with smaller vessels, later replaced by metaxylem.

Q64. Which type of wood is light in colour and active in conduction?

A) Heartwood
B) Sapwood ✅
C) Hard wood
D) Non-porous wood

Explanation: Sapwood is outer, lighter, and conducts water actively.

Q65. Secondary xylem and secondary phloem are produced by

A) Apical meristem
B) Interfascicular cambium
C) Vascular cambium ✅
D) Phellogen

Explanation: Vascular cambium produces secondary xylem inward, secondary phloem outward.

Q66. Phloem fibres are also called

A) Bast fibres ✅
B) Wood fibres
C) Collenchyma
D) Companion fibres

Explanation: Phloem fibres are supportive fibres known as bast fibres (e.g., jute).

Q67. The vascular bundles of monocot stem are

A) Open
B) Closed ✅
C) Conjoint, open
D) Bicollateral

Explanation: Monocot stems have conjoint, collateral, closed bundles (no cambium).

Q68. The ring of vascular bundles is found in

A) Monocot stem
B) Dicot stem ✅
C) Monocot root
D) Dicot leaf

Explanation: Dicot stems have vascular bundles arranged in a ring, unlike scattered monocot bundles.

Q69. What is the chief water-conducting tissue in gymnosperms?

A) Vessels
B) Tracheids ✅
C) Phloem
D) Sieve tubes

Explanation: Gymnosperms lack vessels; water conduction occurs mainly through tracheids.

Q70. Which structure is formed by phellogen towards inner side?

A) Cork
B) Phelloderm ✅
C) Heartwood
D) Sapwood

Explanation: Cork cambium (phellogen) produces phelloderm (secondary cortex) inward.

Q71. The ground tissue in monocot stem is

A) Differentiated into cortex, endodermis, and pith
B) Uniform parenchymatous ✅
C) Made of collenchyma
D) Made of sclerenchyma

Explanation: Monocot stem ground tissue is undifferentiated, parenchymatous.

Q72. Annual rings are distinct in

A) Tropical evergreen trees
B) Temperate plants ✅
C) Aquatic plants
D) Herbs

Explanation: Temperate woody plants show clear annual rings due to seasonal variations.

Q73. Which cell type controls opening and closing of stomata?

A) Subsidiary cells
B) Guard cells ✅
C) Companion cells
D) Bulliform cells

Explanation: Guard cells regulate stomatal pore by changing turgor pressure.

Q74. Gymnosperm wood is called

A) Hard wood
B) Soft wood ✅
C) Non-porous wood
D) Both B and C

Explanation: Gymnosperm wood lacks vessels, hence termed soft wood/non-porous.

Q75. The innermost layer of bark is

A) Phellem
B) Phelloderm ✅
C) Cortex
D) Pericycle

Explanation: Bark = periderm + secondary phloem; phelloderm is innermost layer formed inward by phellogen.

🌿 Anatomy of Flowering Plants — MCQs

Part 4 (Q76–Q100)

Q76. Secondary growth in dicot roots originates from

A) Apical meristem
B) Intercalary meristem
C) Vascular cambium and cork cambium ✅
D) Pith

Explanation: In dicot roots, cambium ring (vascular cambium) and phellogen bring about secondary growth.

Q77. The cambium between xylem and phloem in vascular bundles is

A) Interfascicular cambium
B) Fascicular cambium ✅
C) Cork cambium
D) Apical cambium

Explanation: Fascicular cambium is primary cambium present within vascular bundles.

Q78. Interfascicular cambium is

A) Primary
B) Secondary (arises from medullary rays) ✅
C) Apical
D) Phellogen

Explanation: Interfascicular cambium arises secondarily from parenchyma of medullary rays.

Q79. The term “bark” refers to

A) Only cork
B) Tissues outside vascular cambium ✅
C) Secondary xylem
D) Endodermis

Explanation: Bark = all tissues outside vascular cambium (secondary phloem + periderm).

Q80. Which type of stomata is common in monocots?

A) Anisocytic
B) Paracytic
C) Dumbbell-shaped guard cells ✅
D) Kidney-shaped guard cells

Explanation: Monocots have dumbbell-shaped guard cells, while dicots have kidney-shaped.

Q81. Pericycle in dicot stem helps in

A) Food storage
B) Secondary growth (cambial activity) ✅
C) Water absorption
D) Photosynthesis

Explanation: Pericycle in dicot stem contributes to cork cambium and lateral growth.

Q82. Vascular bundles in roots are always

A) Radial ✅
B) Conjoint
C) Bicollateral
D) Collateral

Explanation: Roots have radial vascular bundles with xylem and phloem on separate radii.

Q83. The wood used in matchstick industry is

A) Hard wood
B) Soft wood ✅
C) Non-porous wood
D) Sapwood

Explanation: Soft wood (gymnosperms) is used in matchstick making.

Q84. A conjoint, collateral, closed vascular bundle is found in

A) Dicot stem
B) Monocot stem ✅
C) Dicot root
D) Monocot root

Explanation: Monocot stems have closed vascular bundles without cambium.

Q85. Bark formed early in the season is

A) Hard and compact
B) Soft and less compact ✅
C) Dead and rigid
D) Woody and brittle

Explanation: Early season bark is soft and functional, later becomes compact.

Q86. The study of wood is called

A) Dendrology
B) Xylotomy ✅
C) Histology
D) Cytology

Explanation: Xylotomy is the study of structure of wood.

Q87. Duramen refers to

A) Sapwood
B) Heartwood ✅
C) Secondary phloem
D) Pericycle

Explanation: Duramen = Heartwood, the central, hard, non-functional wood.

Q88. Epiblema is the

A) Epidermis of stem
B) Outer layer of root ✅
C) Vascular bundle
D) Pericycle

Explanation: Epiblema (rhizodermis) is the outermost single layer in roots, with root hairs.

Q89. Nucleus is absent in

A) Tracheids
B) Vessels
C) Sieve tube elements ✅
D) Xylem parenchyma

Explanation: Sieve tubes are living but enucleated, assisted by companion cells.

Q90. Annual rings are absent in

A) Tropical evergreen trees ✅
B) Temperate trees
C) Deciduous trees
D) Gymnosperms

Explanation: Evergreen tropical trees (no seasonal variation) lack distinct annual rings.

Q91. Pith is well-developed in

A) Dicot stem ✅
B) Monocot stem
C) Dicot root
D) Monocot root

Explanation: Dicot stems usually have a prominent pith (medulla).

Q92. Vascular bundles in dicot roots are

A) Polyarch
B) Tetrarch or pentarch ✅
C) Closed
D) Concentric

Explanation: Dicot roots have 2–6 xylem bundles (diarch to hexarch), commonly tetrarch/pentarch.

Q93. Passage cells are associated with

A) Pericycle
B) Endodermis ✅
C) Phloem
D) Cambium

Explanation: Passage cells in endodermis remain unsuberized for water conduction.

Q94. The cambium ring in dicot stem is formed by

A) Fascicular cambium
B) Interfascicular cambium
C) Both A & B ✅
D) Pericycle

Explanation: Fascicular cambium + interfascicular cambium form a continuous cambium ring.

Q95. The cork cells are rich in

A) Suberin ✅
B) Lignin
C) Cellulose
D) Hemicellulose

Explanation: Cork walls are suberized, waterproof and protective.

Q96. Bast fibres are obtained from

A) Phloem ✅
B) Xylem
C) Pith
D) Pericycle

Explanation: Phloem fibres (bast fibres) are commercially used (e.g., jute, hemp).

Q97. Which type of wood is suitable for paper industry?

A) Heartwood
B) Soft wood ✅
C) Hard wood
D) Duramen

Explanation: Soft wood (gymnosperms) is preferred for paper pulp.

Q98. Which one is not a permanent tissue?

A) Parenchyma
B) Collenchyma
C) Cambium ✅
D) Sclerenchyma

Explanation: Cambium is meristematic, not permanent.

Q99. Pericycle is absent in

A) Dicot root
B) Monocot root
C) Monocot stem ✅
D) Dicot stem

Explanation: Pericycle is not distinct in monocot stems.

Q100. Which type of vascular bundle is found in sunflower stem?

A) Radial
B) Collateral, open, conjoint ✅
C) Collateral, closed, conjoint
D) Bicollateral

Explanation: Sunflower (dicot stem) has collateral, open, conjoint bundles arranged in a ring.

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