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Question #46301
The Question
In a dicot stem, the maintenance of 'open' vascular bundles and the organized bidirectional cutting off of secondary tissues relies heavily on meristematic polarity and specific Auxin-Cytokinin feedback loops. If a targeted chemical inhibitor causes a complete breakdown of this meristematic polarity in the intrafascicular cambium, which of the following outcomes is most likely to be observed?
Options
- A.
The cambium will undergo rapid redifferentiation to form a continuous ring of primary xylem.
- B.
The vascular bundles will functionally become 'closed' as the cambial cells permanently arrest in the G0 phase.
- C.
The cambial cells will exhibit disorganized proliferation, forming an undifferentiated callus-like parenchymatous mass.
- D.
The cambium will exclusively produce secondary phloem towards the periphery due to the loss of inward polarity.
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Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Regulatory_Failure
Understand how NOT, EXCEPT, and logical constraints are used to manipulate exam results.
Concepts Behind This Question
Meristematic Polarity|Hormonal Feedback Loops|Cambium Differentiation
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Integrating 'Anatomy of Flowering Plants' (secondary growth) with 'Plant Growth and Development' (hormonal control of differentiation).
A common misconception is that disrupting the cambium simply halts growth (mimicking a 'closed' bundle).
However, loss of polarity and hormonal deregulation actually leads to dedifferentiation and disorganized proliferation (callus), testing the student's understanding of how plant tumors/galls form at a cellular level.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Anatomy of Flowering Plants - Class 11 |
| Concept | Vascular Bundle Openness |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |