AP Biology : Plant Structures

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Biology

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Plant Structures

Plant cells  differentiate to perform different functions and enable the plant to grow. One cell type is present in young stems and petioles and functions to provide flexible support. This cell type is less resistant to bending forces because it lacks a secondary cell wall and the protein lignin, which causes rigidity in other plant cells. 

What differentiated plant cell is being described?

Possible Answers:

Collenchyma cells

Sclerenchyma cells

Sieve plate cells

Parenchyma cells

Correct answer:

Collenchyma cells

Explanation:

As described in the beginning of this question, collenchyma cells are found in young stems and petioles (leaves) and function to provide flexible support to the plant. This is because chollenchyma cells lack secondary cell walls and do not produce lignin to harden them—this protein is characteristic of sclerenchyma cells, which are also used to provide support/strength to the plant. 

Due to their lack of rigidity, collenchyma cells a also capable of elongating with the stems and leaves they support, allowing them to remain alive at maturity. Sclerenchymal cells lack this ability.

Example Question #2 : Understanding Plant Microstructures

Plant cells differentiate to be able to perform different functions and enable it to grow. One cell type has a critical job in supporting the plant. These cells have secondary walls that are further strengthened by a glue-like substance called lignin, which increases the cell's rigidity. At maturity, these cells cannot elongate and are found in regions of the plant that have stopped growing, forming a "skeleton" for the plant.

What type of differentiated plant cell is described?

Possible Answers:

Sclerenchyma cells

Secondary meristems

Collenchyma cells

Parenchyma cells

Correct answer:

Sclerenchyma cells

Explanation:

As described in the background to the question, sclerenchyma cells are specialized to support the plant as it grows. These cells have thick secondary walls that are further strengthened by the hardening agent called lignin.  As a result, these cells are highly rigid and inflexible.  

At maturity, these cells cannot elongate and are found in regions of the plant that have stopped growing. In some parts of the plant, the sclerenchyma cells may even be dead; however, the rigid walls remain and act like a skeleteon that supports the remainder of the plaint over its lifetime.  

Sclerenchyma cells can also further differentiate into two types called sclereids and fibers. Sclerids can provide hardness to nut shells. Fibers, as their name suggests, are usually arranged in long threads and have commercial uses, such as being made into rope.

Example Question #4 : Plant Biology

Which of the following is a key component of a plant's vascular system?

Possible Answers:

Cuticle

Parenchyma

Pericycle

Xylem

Correct answer:

Xylem

Explanation:

The vascular system in plants is designed to transport materials (water, nutrients, food) between the roots and shoots. There are two primary types of tissue dedicated to these processes. Xylem transports water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots; phloem transports sugars—the products of photosynthesis—from where they are synthesized to where they are needed, such as roots and new growth areas of leaves and fruits.

Both xylem and phloem are comprised of a variety of cell types that are specialized for transport and support. 

Example Question #5 : Plant Biology

What structure in plants allows for CO2 and O2 exchange and transpiration?

Possible Answers:

Stoma

Apical bud

Chlorophyll

Plastid

Xylem

Correct answer:

Stoma

Explanation:

The stoma allows for gas exchange and transpiration. The stoma usually opens following stimulation by sunlight and closes in low water environments. Other answers are parts of a typical plant, however do not play a role in gas exchange or transpiration.

Example Question #1 : Macrostructures

In plants, leaves contain specialized pores used for gas exchange. Each pore is formed by a pair of cells that control its closing and opening. What are these cells called?

Possible Answers:

Guard cells

Epidermal cells

Stoma cells

Cuticle cells

Correct answer:

Guard cells

Explanation:

For proper functioning, plants must take in carbon dioxide, expel oxygen, and limit the loss of water vapor. This gas exchange takes place via pores called stomata. These pores are formed by a pair of adjacent cells that can open and close in response to a number of factors. These cells are called guard cells.

The cuticle and epidermis are layers of leaf structure, and do not correspond to specific cell types. The stoma is the name of a single pore itself, not its surrounding cells.

Example Question #12 : Plant Structures

Which of the following are true of parenchyma cells?

Possible Answers:

They contain sieve-tube members

They are the primary support cells of a plant

They carry out many metabolic functions such as photosynthesis

Their main function is transport

They are strengthened with lignen

Correct answer:

They carry out many metabolic functions such as photosynthesis

Explanation:

Parenchyma cells are the main photosynthetic cells of a plant, but also function in storage of water and nutrients. Parenchyma cells are usually soft cells that are located in leaves and fruit. Phloem cells contain sieve-tube members, and function in transport of water and nutrients throughout the plant. Schlerenchyma cells are strengthened with lignen, and are support cells.

Example Question #1 : Macrostructures

The layer of cells that separates the a leaf from the environment (the outermost layer of leaf tissue) is called the __________.

Possible Answers:

epidermis

spongy mesophyll

bundle sheath

xylem

stomata

Correct answer:

epidermis

Explanation:

The outer layer of cells on a leaf is called the epidermis. It is composed of the upper epidermis and the lower epidermis and the two have somewhat different structures and function, but both serve to protect the leaf from the outside environment. Spongy mesophyll and bundle sheath cells are both structures on the interior of the leaf, which house chloroplasts. Stomata are found on the outside layer of a leaf, but they are pores that allow gas exchange. Xylem is a transport structure that is used to conduct water and nutrients through a plant.

Example Question #2 : Understanding Leaves

In which of the following leaf tissues does the most photosynthesis take place?

Possible Answers:

Stoma

Mesophyll

Guard cells

Epidermis

Cuticle

Correct answer:

Mesophyll

Explanation:

The mesophyll of a leaf contains palisade parenchyma cells (along with other cell types) which contain a high concentration of chloroplasts and are located near the edge of the leaf. These parenchyma cells in the mesophyll perform the bulk of the photosynthesis in a plant, though any part of a plant that contains chlorophyll can photosynthesize, including the spongy mesophyll.

Example Question #1 : Macrostructures

What is the name of the structure of the leaf that attaches the leaf to the stem?

Possible Answers:

Phloem

Mesophyll

Petiole

Xylem

Filament

Correct answer:

Petiole

Explanation:

The petiole attaches the leaf to the stem. Xylem is a tissue that transports water and minerals from the roots to other areas of a plant. Phloem is a tissue that transport water and nutrients from the leaves down to other areas of the plant. A filament is a part of a flower, not a leaf. Mesophyll is the tissue that makes up much of the body of the leaf and is where most photosynthesis takes place, but does not attach the leaf to the stem.

Example Question #3 : Macrostructures

Which of the following can be defined as the tissue in the interior of the leaf?

Possible Answers:

Mesophyll

Stomata

Grana

Chlorophyll

Correct answer:

Mesophyll

Explanation:

The mesophyll is the interior of the leaf. Chloroplasts are mainly found within the mesophyll and leaves are the major sites of photosynthesis in plants.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors