Question

Radial conduction of water occurs by
(A) Phloem
(B) Vessels and tracheids
(С) Vessels
(D) Ray parenchyma cells

Answer 1

Hint: The complex tissue is made up of more than one kind of cell. There are two main types of complex tissue which are conducting in nature. Xylem is the water conducting tissue that is complex in nature. Xylem is made up of four components usually tracheids, vessels , fibres and xylem parenchyma.

Complete answer:
Xylem: It is the chief water-conducting tissue of the plants. Xylem functions as a conducting tissue for water and minerals from the roots to the top of plants, i.e., to the stems and leaves. Along with acting like a conducting tissue, xylem also provides the mechanical strength to the plant parts. Mechanical strength is the ability to tolerate stress, pulling forces, compressive forces etc. without breaking off or tearing off.
Now let us see information about options:-
> Phloem :- It is a living tissue that carries food materials, (in particular, sucrose, a sugar), from the place it is available (source) to the places where it is needed (sink). It transports the organic materials, usually from leaves to other parts of the plants like roots, growing tips of stems and leaves, flowers, fruits etc.
> Vessels and tracheids :- Main purpose of tracheids is to transport water and minerals from roots to stems and leaves. Due to the presence of thickened walls of vessels and hard walls, they are concerned to provide the mechanical support to the plant body.
> Vessels :- The presence of vessels is a characteristic feature of angiosperms. Gymnosperms and pteridophytes lack vessels in their xylem, although other xylary elements are present in them to permit the longitudinal conduction of water and minerals.
> Ray parenchyma cells :- xylem parenchyma cells help in the radial conduction of water, i.e., in the radial directions. It is also called the lateral conduction. Parenchymatous cells which help in radial conduction of the water are called ray parenchyma cells.

Our required answer is D) ray parenchyma cells.

Note: Cells of xylem parenchyma are living and thin-walled. Their cell walls are made up of cellulose. They have a prominent nucleus and dense cytoplasm. Xylem parenchyma is always present in the xylem of all vascular plants whether gymnosperms or angiosperms. The xylem parenchyma cells, as usual, store food materials in the form of reserve foods like starch or fat.