Question

Aamrapali observed that a young mango sapling’s stem bends flexibly during monsoon winds and does not break. Which tissue is responsible for this flexibility? Predict and provide your explanation of the impact if the existing tissue was replaced by sclerenchyma.

Answer 1

The tissue responsible for this flexibility is collenchyma. Collenchyma is made up of live cells with unevenly thickened corners from pectin deposition, which offers both support and flexibility, allowing the stem to bend without breaking.

If collenchyma were replaced with sclerenchyma, the stem would become stiff, inflexible, and brittle because sclerenchyma cells have thick lignified walls and are essentially dead. The stem would lose elasticity. As a result, rather than bending in the monsoon winds, the stiff stem would crack or break.