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  • List the characteristics of cork. How are they formed? Mention their role.

List the characteristics of cork. How are they formed? Mention their role.

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The characteristics of cork cells are-

  • They are mature and dead.
  • They are compactly arranged.
  • They possess a chemical substance called suberin in their walls.
  • They do not have intercellular spaces.
  • They are thick and made up of several layers.

As the plants grow older, the outer protective tissue undergoes some changes. In the stem, the epidermis is replaced by a secondary meristem called cork cambium. It is a simple tissue which consists of rectangular cells and vacuolated protoplasts.
Cork cambium forms cork on the outer side and secondary cortex on the inner side by producing new cells on both sides.
Cork cells are compactly arranged dead cells which lack intercellular spaces. The cell walls of cork cells are thickened by a substance called suberin (fat) which makes these cells impermeable to water and gases.
Role-

  • It protects plants and prevents water loss.
  • It also protects the plants from infection and mechanical injury.
  • Cork is used as an insulator because it is light in weight and doesn’t catch fire.

 

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