Meristematic tissues in plants are those

Options

A. Which have their walls made of cellulose
B. Which have intercellular spaces between them
C. Which store reserve food materials
D. Which have their cell walls made up of chitin

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Definition of Meristematic Tissue**: Meristematic tissues are specialized plant tissues that consist of undifferentiated cells capable of division and differentiation into various specialized cell types.

2. **Characteristics of Meristematic Tissue**:
- **Undifferentiated Cells**: The cells in meristematic tissue are not specialized and can develop into different types of cells.
- **Self-Renewal**: When these cells divide, one cell remains a meristematic cell (parent cell) while the other differentiates into a specialized cell.
- **Living Cells**: Meristematic tissues are composed of living cells, which are essential for growth and repair.
- **Thin Cell Walls**: The cell walls of meristematic cells are thin and primarily made of cellulose.
- **Dense Protoplasm**: The cytoplasm of these cells is dense, indicating high metabolic activity.
- **Single Large Nucleus**: Meristematic cells typically contain a prominent, single nucleus.
- **No Intercellular Spaces**: These cells are closely packed with no spaces between them.
- **High Metabolic Activity**: They have a high rate of metabolism due to their active role in growth.
- **Young and Immature**: The cells are immature, which contributes to their ability to divide rapidly.

3. **Evaluating Options**:
- **Option 1**: "Which have their walls made of cellulose" - This is correct as the cell walls of meristematic tissues are indeed made of cellulose.
- **Option 2**: "They have intercellular spaces" - This is incorrect; meristematic tissues do not have intercellular spaces.
- **Option 3**: "They store reserve food material" - This is also incorrect; meristematic tissues do not store food.
- **Option 4**: "Cell wall is made up of chitin" - This is incorrect; the cell wall is made of cellulose, not chitin.

4. **Conclusion**: The correct answer is **Option 1**, which states that meristematic tissues have their walls made of cellulose.

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