The cells of the quiescent centre are characterised by : -

The cells of the quiescent centre are characterised by : -
A Having dense cytoplasm and prominent nuclei
B Having light cytoplasm and small nuclei
C Dividing regularly to add to the corpus
D Dividing regularly to add to tunica

Detailed Solution

The quiescent centre is a group of cells in the centre of the root apical meristem, described by F. A. L. Clowes.
Its cells divide very slowly or not at all (they are relatively inactive, as the name 'quiescent' suggests). They act as a reserve that can replace damaged meristem cells.
Being metabolically inactive, they have light (less dense) cytoplasm, small nuclei and few organelles, with low DNA, RNA and protein synthesis.
Tunica and corpus are layers of the shoot apex, not of the root.
So cells of the quiescent centre are characterised by light cytoplasm and small nuclei.

Anatomy of Flowering Plants in past papers

79 questions from this chapter have appeared across 23 exam years.

Keep going

Practise Anatomy of Flowering Plants All 79 questions This chapter in 2003 AIPMT