BIOL 1108 - Unit 2 Practice Examination
BIOL 1108 – PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY II | UNIT 2 PRACTICE EXAMINATION:
PLANT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION THROUGH EARLY ANIMAL DIVERSITY |
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS | 2026/2027
BIOL 1108: Principles of Biology II
Unit 2 Practice Examination (Plant Structure and Function through
Early Animal Diversity)
Page 1 of 56
, BIOL 1108 - Unit 2 Practice Examination
1. Which tissue conducts water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the
shoot system?
A. Phloem
B. Xylem
C. Epidermis
D. Cortex
ANSWER : B. Xylem
Explanation: Xylem carries water and minerals upward. Phloem moves
sugars, the epidermis is a protective covering, and the cortex is ground
tissue used mainly for storage.
2. Which of the following is NOT one of the three plant tissue systems?
A. Muscular tissue system
B. Dermal tissue system
C. Vascular tissue system
D. Ground tissue system
ANSWER : A. Muscular tissue system
Explanation: Plants have dermal, vascular and ground tissue systems.
Muscle tissue is found in animals, not plants.
3. Sieve-tube elements can function without a nucleus because:
A. companion cells maintain them and support their metabolism
B. they are dead at maturity, like tracheids
C. they borrow the nucleus of an adjacent xylem vessel
D. they perform no transport and need no control
ANSWER : A. companion cells maintain them and support their
metabolism
Explanation: Mature sieve-tube elements are alive but lack a nucleus;
companion cells keep them functioning. They are not dead, they do not
use xylem nuclei, and they transport sugars actively.
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, BIOL 1108 - Unit 2 Practice Examination
4. Water-conducting cells that are dead at maturity and have lignified
secondary walls are:
A. sieve-tube elements and companion cells
B. guard cells and subsidiary cells
C. parenchyma and collenchyma cells
D. tracheids and vessel elements
ANSWER : D. tracheids and vessel elements
Explanation: Tracheids and vessel elements make up xylem and are dead
when functional. Sieve-tube elements and companion cells are living
phloem cells, guard cells are living, and parenchyma and collenchyma are
living support or metabolic cells.
5. Which cell type has unevenly thickened primary walls and gives flexible
support to growing stems and petioles?
A. Collenchyma
B. Sclerenchyma
C. Parenchyma
D. Tracheid
ANSWER : A. Collenchyma
Explanation: Collenchyma cells have thick but flexible primary walls.
Sclerenchyma is rigid and lignified, parenchyma has thin walls, and
tracheids are water-conducting cells.
6. Fibers and sclereids are specialized forms of which cell type?
A. Collenchyma
B. Parenchyma
C. Sclerenchyma
D. Companion cell
ANSWER : C. Sclerenchyma
Explanation: Fibers and sclereids are rigid, lignified sclerenchyma cells
that are often dead at maturity. The other cell types do not form these
structures.
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, BIOL 1108 - Unit 2 Practice Examination
7. Which cell type carries out most metabolic functions, including
photosynthesis and storage, and can still divide?
A. Sclerenchyma
B. Tracheid
C. Parenchyma
D. Sieve-tube element
ANSWER : C. Parenchyma
Explanation: Parenchyma cells are living, thin-walled and metabolically
active. Sclerenchyma and tracheids are typically dead at maturity, and
sieve-tube elements lack a nucleus.
8. Apical meristems are responsible for:
A. secondary growth, which increases girth
B. primary growth, which increases the length of roots and shoots
C. formation of bark only
D. production of flowers only
ANSWER : B. primary growth, which increases the length of roots
and shoots
Explanation: Apical meristems at root and shoot tips produce primary
growth in length. Girth and bark come from lateral meristems, and
flowers form from modified shoot meristems.
9. The vascular cambium produces:
A. cork to the outside and cortex to the inside
B. primary xylem and primary phloem
C. epidermis and root hairs
D. secondary xylem to the inside and secondary phloem to the outside
ANSWER : D. secondary xylem to the inside and secondary phloem
to the outside
Explanation: The vascular cambium adds wood (secondary xylem) inward
and secondary phloem outward. Cork comes from the cork cambium and
primary tissues come from apical meristems.
Page 4 of 56
BIOL 1108 – PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY II | UNIT 2 PRACTICE EXAMINATION:
PLANT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION THROUGH EARLY ANIMAL DIVERSITY |
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS | 2026/2027
BIOL 1108: Principles of Biology II
Unit 2 Practice Examination (Plant Structure and Function through
Early Animal Diversity)
Page 1 of 56
, BIOL 1108 - Unit 2 Practice Examination
1. Which tissue conducts water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the
shoot system?
A. Phloem
B. Xylem
C. Epidermis
D. Cortex
ANSWER : B. Xylem
Explanation: Xylem carries water and minerals upward. Phloem moves
sugars, the epidermis is a protective covering, and the cortex is ground
tissue used mainly for storage.
2. Which of the following is NOT one of the three plant tissue systems?
A. Muscular tissue system
B. Dermal tissue system
C. Vascular tissue system
D. Ground tissue system
ANSWER : A. Muscular tissue system
Explanation: Plants have dermal, vascular and ground tissue systems.
Muscle tissue is found in animals, not plants.
3. Sieve-tube elements can function without a nucleus because:
A. companion cells maintain them and support their metabolism
B. they are dead at maturity, like tracheids
C. they borrow the nucleus of an adjacent xylem vessel
D. they perform no transport and need no control
ANSWER : A. companion cells maintain them and support their
metabolism
Explanation: Mature sieve-tube elements are alive but lack a nucleus;
companion cells keep them functioning. They are not dead, they do not
use xylem nuclei, and they transport sugars actively.
Page 2 of 56
, BIOL 1108 - Unit 2 Practice Examination
4. Water-conducting cells that are dead at maturity and have lignified
secondary walls are:
A. sieve-tube elements and companion cells
B. guard cells and subsidiary cells
C. parenchyma and collenchyma cells
D. tracheids and vessel elements
ANSWER : D. tracheids and vessel elements
Explanation: Tracheids and vessel elements make up xylem and are dead
when functional. Sieve-tube elements and companion cells are living
phloem cells, guard cells are living, and parenchyma and collenchyma are
living support or metabolic cells.
5. Which cell type has unevenly thickened primary walls and gives flexible
support to growing stems and petioles?
A. Collenchyma
B. Sclerenchyma
C. Parenchyma
D. Tracheid
ANSWER : A. Collenchyma
Explanation: Collenchyma cells have thick but flexible primary walls.
Sclerenchyma is rigid and lignified, parenchyma has thin walls, and
tracheids are water-conducting cells.
6. Fibers and sclereids are specialized forms of which cell type?
A. Collenchyma
B. Parenchyma
C. Sclerenchyma
D. Companion cell
ANSWER : C. Sclerenchyma
Explanation: Fibers and sclereids are rigid, lignified sclerenchyma cells
that are often dead at maturity. The other cell types do not form these
structures.
Page 3 of 56
, BIOL 1108 - Unit 2 Practice Examination
7. Which cell type carries out most metabolic functions, including
photosynthesis and storage, and can still divide?
A. Sclerenchyma
B. Tracheid
C. Parenchyma
D. Sieve-tube element
ANSWER : C. Parenchyma
Explanation: Parenchyma cells are living, thin-walled and metabolically
active. Sclerenchyma and tracheids are typically dead at maturity, and
sieve-tube elements lack a nucleus.
8. Apical meristems are responsible for:
A. secondary growth, which increases girth
B. primary growth, which increases the length of roots and shoots
C. formation of bark only
D. production of flowers only
ANSWER : B. primary growth, which increases the length of roots
and shoots
Explanation: Apical meristems at root and shoot tips produce primary
growth in length. Girth and bark come from lateral meristems, and
flowers form from modified shoot meristems.
9. The vascular cambium produces:
A. cork to the outside and cortex to the inside
B. primary xylem and primary phloem
C. epidermis and root hairs
D. secondary xylem to the inside and secondary phloem to the outside
ANSWER : D. secondary xylem to the inside and secondary phloem
to the outside
Explanation: The vascular cambium adds wood (secondary xylem) inward
and secondary phloem outward. Cork comes from the cork cambium and
primary tissues come from apical meristems.
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