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NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Science Chapter 3 Tissues in Action
Simplify your learning with Chapter-wise NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Science, designed as per the latest NCERT Revised syllabus and are aligned with the CBSE curriculum. These expert-created solutions provide detailed, step-by-step answers to every textbook question, helping students strengthen conceptual understanding and improve problem-solving skills.
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1.0Download NCERT Class 9 Science Chapter 3 Tissues in Action
Chapter 3: Tissues in Action explains how groups of similar cells work together to perform specialized functions in plants and animals. It helps students understand the importance of tissues in maintaining the growth, support, and functioning of living organisms.
2.0 Learning Outcomes – NCERT Class 9 Science Chapter 3, Tissues in Action
- Define a tissue and explain why multicellular organisms need tissues instead of relying on individual cells.
- Classify plant tissues into meristematic and permanent types, and identify their locations and functions.
- Differentiate between apical, lateral, and intercalary meristems, and explain how each contributes to plant growth.
- Describe the structure and function of simple permanent tissues (parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma) and complex permanent tissues (xylem and phloem).
- Identify the four types of animal tissues — epithelial, connective, muscular, and nervous — and relate their structure to their specific functions.
- Explain how different types of joints (fixed, hinge, ball-and-socket) enable or restrict movement in the human body.
- Connect musculoskeletal health to nutrition and exercise, and explain their combined role in maintaining strong bones and muscles.
- Apply the concept of totipotency to understand plant regeneration and its use in techniques like tissue culture.
3.0Detailed NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Science Chapter 3 Tissues in Action
1. Meristematic tissues divide repeatedly. What property of their cells allows them to do this? (i) They have thick walls for protection. (ii) They contain large vacuoles that store nutrients. (iii) They have thin walls, dense cytoplasm and large prominent nucleus. (iv) They are functionally differentiated cells.
Ans. (iii) They have thin walls, dense cytoplasm and large prominent nucleus.
Meristematic cells are actively dividing cells. They have thin cell walls, dense cytoplasm and a large prominent nucleus, which help them divide continuously. Vacuoles are usually absent, and the cells are tightly packed.
2. If a plant is unable to transport food from leaves to roots which tissue is malfunctioning? (i) Xylem (ii) Phloem (iii) Epidermis (iv) Sclerenchyma
Ans. (ii) Phloem Phloem is the conducting tissue responsible for transporting food prepared in the leaves to different parts of the plant, including the roots. If food transport stops, the phloem is malfunctioning.
3. Why are the epithelial tissues that line an animal's internal organs usually only one or a few cells thick? (i) To store food efficiently. (ii) To provide maximum strength. (iii) To allow quick exchange of materials across them. (iv) To reduce friction.
Ans. (iii) To allow quick exchange of materials across them.
Epithelial tissues that line organs like lungs and blood vessels are thin, so that gases, nutrients and other materials can diffuse quickly across them.
4. You can perform these two jumps (Fig.3.21):
Normal jump — bend knees and ankles naturally.
How did your ankle, knee and hip positions differ between the two jumps?
Ans. In a straight-leg jump, the ankle, the knee, and hip joints remain stiff and straight, so there is very little or no bending. While in a normal jump, the ankles, the knees and hips bend naturally. Bending of joints helps absorb shock, maintain balance and provides flexibility during movement.
5. Which type of joint is involved when you bend your knees and ankles? (i) Ball and socket (ii) Hinge (iii) Pivot
Ans. (ii) Hinge Hinge joints allow movement mainly in one direction, like the opening and closing of a door. The knee and ankle joints work as hinge joints during bending.
6. In each of the following cases (A, B, C and D), choose the correct option as given below: (i) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). (ii) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A). (iii) (A) is true, but (R) is false. (iv) (A) is false, but (R) is true. A. Assertion: Epithelium is well-suited for gas exchange in the lungs. Reason: It consists of multiple layers of tall cells that slow down diffusion. B. Assertion: Cardiac muscle can contract continuously without fatigue. Reason: Cardiac muscle cells have a high number of mitochondria and an abundant blood supply. C. Assertion: Tendons connect bone to bone and allow joint movement. Reason: Tendons are made of tough connective tissue that transmits force from muscle to bone. D. Assertion: In a hinge joint, movement occurs primarily in one plane. Reason: The bone ends are shaped to allow sliding in all directions.
Ans. A. (iii) (A) is true, but (R) is false. The epithelium in lungs is thin and made of a single layer of flat cells, which helps in rapid gas exchange. B. (i) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). Cardiac muscles work continuously throughout life. They contain many mitochondria and receive rich blood supply, providing constant energy and oxygen, which prevents fatigue. C. (iv) (A) is false, but (R) is true. The assertion is false because tendons connect muscles to bones, not bone to bone. Ligaments connect bone to bone.
The reason is true because tendons are tough connective tissues that transmit force from muscles to bones to produce movement. D. (iii) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
The assertion is true because hinge joints allow movement mainly in one direction or one plane, like the elbow and knee joints. The reason is false because hinge joints do not allow sliding in all directions. Their structure permits movement only forward and backward.
7. Plot a graph between the age of a tree (in years) on the x -axis and the diameter of the tree (in cm ) along with the number of annual rings formed over time on the -axis, using the data given in the Table 3.7.
Table 3.7: Data related to the age of a teak tree, and corresponding increase in the diameter of stem and number of annual rings
(i) Analyse the graph in terms of the diameter of the stem over time and share the interpretation. (ii) What is the relation between the diameter of the teak tree to the annual rings formed? (iii) Which specialised tissue is responsible for the girth of the stem and where is it located?
Ans. (i) The graph shows that as the age of the teak tree increases, the diameter of the stem also increases.
- At 5 years, the diameter is 4 cm .
- At 10 years, the diameter becomes 8 cm .
- At 20 years, the diameter increases to 24 cm .
- At 40 years, the diameter reaches 40 cm . This shows continuous growth in the girth of the stem with increase in age. The increase occurs due to the activity of lateral meristem. (ii) The number of annual rings increases with the increase in the diameter and age of the teak tree.
- More annual rings indicate older age.
- As annual rings increase, the girth (diameter) of the stem also increases. Thus, there is a direct relationship between stem diameter and number of annual rings formed. (iii) The specialised tissue responsible for the increase in girth of the stem is the lateral meristem. The lateral meristem contains actively dividing cells that produce new cells inside and outside, causing an increase in the diameter or girth (secondary growth) of the stem. Location: It is located along the circumference (sides) of the stem.
8. In a forest, it was observed that one of the trees was severely debarked by an elephant to meet its food requirements, as the bark is a rich source of nutrients (Fig. 3.22). Based on your learning, answer the following:
Ans. (i) Functions hampered by debarking: Debarking hampers the protection and transport of food in the tree. The bark protects the inner tissues of the tree from injury and environmental damage. The bark also contains phloem tissue, which transports food from leaves to other parts of the plant and may indirectly affect the growth and survival. (ii) The conducting tissues, especially xylem and phloem, would be affected. Further damage to the trunk may injure the vascular tissues present beneath the bark. These tissues are responsible for conduction of water, minerals and food. (iii) Transport of water, minerals and food throughout the plant would be hampered.
- Xylem transports water and minerals from roots.
- Phloem transports food from leaves. Damage to these tissues disrupts conduction in the plant. Eventually the tree may be die due to lack of food supply. (iv) The assumption is that debarking removed the bark along with the phloem tissue and damaged the tissues beneath it. If only the outer bark was removed and inner conducting tissues remained unharmed, the transport functions might continue normally for some time. In that case, only protection of the tree would be affected initially.
- 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. Ans. The tissue responsible for the flexibility of the young mango sapling's stem is collenchyma. Collenchyma consists of living cells with unevenly thickened corners. This tissue provides support and flexibility, allowing the stem to bend during strong monsoon winds without breaking. If the collenchyma were replaced by sclerenchyma, the stem would become hard and rigid because sclerenchyma cells have thick lignified walls and are mostly dead. The sapling would lose flexibility and may break easily during strong winds instead of bending.
- Sohan designed an experiment for the regeneration of sugarcane, where he used cuttings to grow sugarcane. He used two types of cuttings, type 'A' and type 'B' (Fig. 3.23). After a few weeks, type ' B ' cuttings sprouted and developed into sugarcane plants, whereas the type 'A' cuttings did not sprout.
Ans. (i) Type 'B' cuttings were able to grow because they contained a node with intercalary meristematic tissue. Intercalary meristems have actively dividing cells that help plants regenerate and produce new shoots after cutting. Type 'A' had no nodes or buds, so no new growth occurred. (ii) Type 'B' had a node containing intercalary meristem, whereas type 'A' did not contain this meristematic region. (iii) The effect was determined by observing whether the cuttings sprouted and developed into new sugarcane plants. Type 'B' produced shoots and grew into plants, while type 'A' did not sprout. (iv) To ensure a fair comparison, both types of cuttings should be kept under the same environmental conditions, such as:
- Same amount of water
- Same soil or growth medium
- Same sunlight exposure
- Same temperature
- Similar size and age of cuttings
Only the presence or absence of the intercalary meristem/node should differ between the two types of cuttings.
11. During the discussion in class, Rohan gives a statement that, "A tissue is a group of similar cells performing similar functions". But Rajiv counter argues that, "this is true in case of simple tissues but little different in case of complex tissues". Provide your explanat0ion in view of the discussion in class.
Ans. Rohan's statement is correct for simple tissues because simple tissues are made up of only one type of similar cells performing similar functions. Simple permanent tissues like parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma contain similar cells. Rajiv is also correct because complex tissues are made up of more than one type of cells working together to perform a common function. Complex tissues like xylem and phloem contain different kinds of cells working together for conduction.
Therefore, the statement is completely true for simple tissues but slightly different for complex tissues.
12. Coconut husk fibres are used for mats which are tough and fibrous. Which tissue has structural features suitable for providing this strength? Explain why living parenchyma couldn't serve the same purpose.
Ans. The tissue responsible for the toughness and strength of coconut husk fibres is sclerenchyma. Sclerenchyma cells have thick lignified walls, making them hard, strong and rigid. These features make coconut husk fibres suitable for making tough mats. Living parenchyma cells have thin walls and are mainly meant for storage and other soft functions. They do not provide the hardness and mechanical strength needed for making strong fibres.
13. Vibha claims to her friend Neha that, "Meristematic cells are located only at the root and shoot apices". What do you think about this statement? What question can Neha ask Vibha to help her understand further if the statement is incorrect?
Ans. The statement is incorrect. Meristematic tissues are not present only at the root and shoot apices (apical meristem). They are also present as:
- Lateral meristem along the sides of stems.
- Intercalary meristem at the nodes or internodes. "How do grasses grow again after mowing or grazing if meristematic tissues are present only at root and shoot tips?" This question helps explain the role of intercalary meristem.
14. A plant cell and an animal cell are of the same size. (i) Which cell will have a larger vacuole? Give reasons. (ii) What assumptions are you making to answer the question above?
Ans. (i) The plant cell will have a larger vacuole. Plant cells usually contain a large central vacuole that stores cell sap and helps maintain rigidity and turgidity. Animal cells have small or temporary vacuoles. (ii) The assumption is that the plant cell and animal cell are normal mature cells. The answer may change if the cells are young, specialised or in unusual conditions because vacuole size can vary depending on cell type and stage.
15. A textbook states, "Each plant tissue performs only one specific function". What questions would you ask to critically examine the correctness of this statement? What examples of tissues would you take to find out the answers to these questions?
Ans. To examine the correctness of the statement, the following questions can be asked:
- Do some plant tissues perform more than one function?
- Can one tissue provide both support and storage?
- Can conducting tissues also provide strength?
Examples:
- Parenchyma stores food and also performs photosynthesis in green parts.
- Xylem is the complex tissue which transports water and also provides support.
- Epidermis protects the plant and also helps in transpiration and gaseous exchange through stomata.
These examples show that many plant tissues perform multiple functions, so the statement "Each plant tissue performs only one specific function" is not completely correct.
4.0Quick Revision on Class 9 Science Chapter 3 Tissues in Action
5.0Related Study Materials Class 9 Science
The study materials of ALLEN’s Class 9 Science are designed according to the latest NCERT syllabus. Also, refer NCERT Textbooks, Revision Notes, Sample Papers and Previous Years’ Question Papers to strengthen concepts, prepare with confidence for school and CBSE exams and revise effectively.
6.0Advantages of Chapter 3 Science Class 9 NCERT Solutions
- Explains Pure Substances and Mixtures: Builds a clear understanding of different types of matter.
- Strengthens Separation Techniques: Simplifies methods used to separate mixtures based on their properties.
- Develops Classification Skills: Helps students distinguish between homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures.
- Improves Conceptual Clarity: Explains the characteristics of elements, compounds, and mixtures with simple examples.
- Connects Science to Everyday Life: Demonstrates the practical use of separation methods in daily life.
- Builds a Strong Foundation: Prepares students for advanced chemistry concepts in higher classes.