NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 6: Anatomy of Flowering Plants (NCERT 2026–27)

These Class 11 Biology Chapter 6 solutions cover Anatomy of Flowering Plants with every NCERT exercise question reproduced verbatim and answered in exam-ready prose. Anatomy is the study of the internal structure of plants — how cells organise into tissues, tissues into tissue systems, and tissue systems into organs — and how monocots and dicots differ internally. This page gives you complete, step-by-step answers updated for the session 2026–27.

Class: 11 Subject: Biology Chapter: 6 Title: Anatomy of Flowering Plants Exercises: 7 questions Session: 2026–27
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Class 11 Biology Chapter 6 Solutions – Overview

Chapter 6, Anatomy of Flowering Plants, introduces the internal organisation of higher plants. Within angiosperms, cells are organised into tissues, tissues into tissue systems, and these into organs. The chapter explains the three tissue systems — epidermal, ground (fundamental) and vascular (conducting) — and then compares the transverse-section anatomy of the dicot root, monocot root, dicot stem, monocot stem, dorsiventral (dicot) leaf and isobilateral (monocot) leaf. It also describes the structure of stomata (the stomatal apparatus), trichomes, bundle sheaths, bulliform cells, and the open, closed, radial and conjoint types of vascular bundles. Mastering these comparisons is the key skill the exercises test.

Key Concepts & Definitions

Anatomy: the study of the internal structure of plants.

Tissue system: a group of tissues performing a common function and occupying a definite location. The three systems are epidermal, ground and vascular.

Epidermal tissue system: the outermost covering — epidermal cells, stomata and epidermal appendages (root hairs, trichomes), often coated with a waxy cuticle (absent in roots).

Stomatal apparatus: the stomatal pore (aperture) together with the two guard cells and the surrounding subsidiary cells.

Ground tissue system: all tissues except epidermis and vascular bundles — parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma forming cortex, pericycle, pith, medullary rays and mesophyll.

Vascular tissue system: the complex tissues xylem and phloem, together forming vascular bundles that conduct water, minerals and food.

Open vs closed bundle: open bundles (dicots) have cambium between xylem and phloem and can form secondary tissue; closed bundles (monocots) lack cambium.

Radial vs conjoint bundle: in radial bundles xylem and phloem lie on different radii (roots); in conjoint bundles they share the same radius, phloem usually outside xylem (stems, leaves).

Casparian strips: water-impermeable suberin deposits on the radial and tangential walls of endodermal cells.

Bulliform cells: large, empty, colourless adaxial epidermal cells in grasses that curl the leaf inwards under water stress.

NCERT Exercises — Solutions

All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook (Reprint 2026–27). Answers are original and exam-ready; figure-based questions are answered fully in words.

1. Draw illustrations to bring out the anatomical difference between (a) Monocot root and Dicot root (b) Monocot stem and Dicot stem

ANSWER A drawing is required in the answer-book; the labelled comparison described in words is given below so you know exactly what to draw and label in each illustration. (a) Monocot root vs Dicot root (T.S.):
FeatureDicot rootMonocot root
Number of xylem bundlesFew — usually two to four (di- to tetrarch)Many — more than six (polyarch)
PithSmall or inconspicuousLarge and well developed
CambiumAppears later (between xylem and phloem) — secondary growth occursAbsent — no secondary growth
Conjunctive tissuePresent between xylem and phloem patchesPresent
In both, label (from outside in): epiblema/epidermis with root hairs, cortex, endodermis, pericycle, radially arranged xylem (protoxylem and metaxylem) and phloem, and pith. Show fewer xylem arms in the dicot and many (polyarch) in the monocot with a large central pith. (b) Monocot stem vs Dicot stem (T.S.):
FeatureDicot stemMonocot stem
Arrangement of vascular bundlesArranged in a ringScattered in the ground tissue
Type of bundleConjoint, open (cambium present), endarchConjoint, closed (no cambium)
HypodermisCollenchymatousSclerenchymatous
Bundle sheathAbsentPresent (sclerenchymatous), around each bundle
Ground tissueDifferentiated into cortex, endodermis, pericycle, medullary rays and pithNot differentiated; a large parenchymatous ground tissue with a water cavity in each bundle
Label epidermis with cuticle, hypodermis, cortex, the vascular bundles (xylem, phloem and, in the dicot, cambium), pith/ground tissue and medullary rays (dicot only). Show the dicot bundles in a neat ring and the monocot bundles scattered, each with a bundle sheath and water cavity.

2. Cut a transverse section of young stem of a plant from your school garden and observe it under the microscope. How would you ascertain whether it is a monocot stem or a dicot stem? Give reasons.

ANSWER The arrangement and structure of the vascular bundles reveals the type of stem. It is a dicot stem if: the vascular bundles are arranged in a definite ring; each bundle is conjoint, open (cambium present between xylem and phloem) and endarch; the hypodermis is collenchymatous; and the ground tissue is differentiated into cortex, endodermis (starch sheath), pericycle, medullary rays and a central pith. It is a monocot stem if: the vascular bundles are scattered throughout the ground tissue; each bundle is conjoint, closed (no cambium) and surrounded by a sclerenchymatous bundle sheath; the hypodermis is sclerenchymatous; a water-containing cavity is present in each bundle; and the ground tissue is a uniform mass of parenchyma (not differentiated). Reason: these anatomical features — the ring vs scattered arrangement and the presence vs absence of cambium — are constant, reliable markers that distinguish dicot from monocot stems.

3. The transverse section of a plant material shows the following anatomical features – (a) the vascular bundles are conjoint, scattered and surrounded by a sclerenchymatous bundle sheaths. (b) phloem parenchyma is absent. What will you identify it as?

ANSWER The given features identify the material as a monocotyledonous stem. In a monocot stem the vascular bundles are conjoint, closed and scattered in the ground tissue, each surrounded by a sclerenchymatous bundle sheath, and the phloem parenchyma is absent while a water-containing cavity is present within the bundle. These are exactly the features described, so the section is a monocot stem (for example, a maize stem).

4. What is stomatal apparatus? Explain the structure of stomata with a labelled diagram.

ANSWER Stomatal apparatus: the stomatal aperture (pore), the two guard cells that bound it, and the surrounding subsidiary cells are together called the stomatal apparatus. Structure of stomata: Stomata are tiny pores in the epidermis of leaves that regulate transpiration and gaseous exchange. Each stoma is bounded by two guard cells, which are bean-shaped in most plants and dumb-bell shaped in grasses. The outer walls of the guard cells (away from the pore) are thin, while the inner walls (towards the pore) are highly thickened; this unequal thickening lets the cells change shape to open and close the pore. Guard cells contain chloroplasts, so they can photosynthesise and use turgor changes to regulate opening and closing. A few neighbouring epidermal cells, modified in shape and size, form the subsidiary cells. Labelled diagram (to draw): sketch a stoma showing the central stomatal pore, the two bean-shaped guard cells with thin outer and thick inner walls, chloroplasts inside the guard cells, the subsidiary cells around them, and the ordinary epidermal cells.

5. Name the three basic tissue systems in the flowering plants. Give the tissue names under each system.

ANSWER The three basic tissue systems of flowering plants and the tissues they contain are:
Tissue systemTissues / components
1. Epidermal tissue systemEpidermal cells, stomata, and epidermal appendages — root hairs and trichomes (and the cuticle covering)
2. Ground (fundamental) tissue systemSimple tissues — parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma (forming cortex, pericycle, pith, medullary rays and mesophyll)
3. Vascular (conducting) tissue systemComplex tissues — xylem and phloem (together forming vascular bundles)

6. How is the study of plant anatomy useful to us?

ANSWER The study of plant anatomy is useful in many practical ways: • It lets us identify and classify plants — for example, distinguishing a monocot from a dicot by the arrangement of vascular bundles and other internal features. • It helps us understand how plants function — how the xylem conducts water and minerals, how the phloem translocates food, and how stomata control transpiration and gaseous exchange. • It reveals adaptations of plants to their environment (such as a thick cuticle or bulliform cells), explaining how they survive in diverse habitats. • It supports agriculture, forestry and the timber, paper and textile industries, where knowledge of wood (xylem) and fibres is essential for assessing quality and uses. • It aids the study of plant diseases and water/food transport, helping in plant breeding, grafting and crop improvement.

7. Describe the internal structure of a dorsiventral leaf with the help of labelled diagrams.

ANSWER A dorsiventral (dicotyledonous) leaf, cut vertically through the lamina, shows three main parts — epidermis, mesophyll and vascular system. 1. Epidermis: covers both the upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) surfaces and bears a conspicuous cuticle. The abaxial (lower) epidermis usually has more stomata than the adaxial (upper) epidermis, which may even lack stomata. 2. Mesophyll: the chloroplast-rich parenchyma between the two epidermal layers that carries out photosynthesis. It is differentiated into two types of cells: the adaxially placed palisade parenchyma made of elongated cells arranged vertically and parallel to each other, and the spongy parenchyma below it — oval or round, loosely arranged cells with large air spaces and cavities extending to the lower epidermis. 3. Vascular system: vascular bundles are present in the veins and the midrib; their size depends on the size of the vein. Each bundle is surrounded by a layer of thick-walled bundle sheath cells, with xylem towards the upper side and phloem towards the lower side. Labelled diagram (to draw): a vertical section showing — upper (adaxial) epidermis with cuticle, palisade parenchyma, spongy parenchyma with air spaces, a vascular bundle (xylem above, phloem below) wrapped in a bundle sheath, lower (abaxial) epidermis, and a stoma with guard cells on the lower epidermis.

Extra Practice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What are casparian strips and where are they found?

ANSWERCasparian strips are deposits of water-impermeable, waxy suberin on the tangential and radial walls of the endodermal cells of the root. They block the apoplastic movement of water, forcing it to pass through the cell membranes and so regulating water and mineral entry into the stele.

Q2. Distinguish between open and closed vascular bundles.

ANSWERAn open vascular bundle has cambium between the xylem and phloem and can produce secondary xylem and phloem (typical of dicot stems). A closed vascular bundle lacks cambium and therefore cannot form secondary tissue (typical of monocot stems).

Q3. What are bulliform cells and what is their function?

ANSWERBulliform cells are large, empty, colourless adaxial epidermal cells found along the veins of grass (monocot) leaves. When turgid they keep the leaf surface exposed; when flaccid due to water stress they make the leaf curl inwards, minimising water loss by transpiration.

Q4. Why is the cuticle absent in roots?

ANSWERThe cuticle is a waxy layer that prevents water loss. Roots must absorb water and minerals from the soil, so a water-proof cuticle would hinder this; hence the root epidermis (epiblema) lacks a cuticle and instead bears root hairs to aid absorption.

Q5. Name the components of the stele in a dicot root.

ANSWERAll the tissues on the inner side of the endodermis together form the stele — namely the pericycle, vascular bundles (xylem and phloem) and pith.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Compare the anatomy of a dicot root and a monocot root in a transverse section.

ANSWERBoth roots share the same basic plan from outside in: epiblema (epidermis) with unicellular root hairs, a broad cortex of thin-walled parenchyma with intercellular spaces, a single-layered barrel-shaped endodermis with casparian strips, a pericycle, radially arranged vascular bundles and a pith. The differences are mainly in the vascular tissue. A dicot root has few xylem bundles — usually two to four (di- to tetrarch) — a small or inconspicuous pith, and conjunctive tissue between xylem and phloem; a cambium ring later develops between xylem and phloem so secondary growth occurs. A monocot root has many xylem bundles — more than six (polyarch) — a large, well-developed pith, and no cambium, so monocot roots do not undergo secondary growth. Thus the number of xylem arms, the size of the pith and the presence of secondary growth are the key distinguishing features.

Q2. Describe the three tissue systems of a flowering plant and the function of each.

ANSWERA flowering plant has three tissue systems. The epidermal tissue system forms the outermost covering — epidermal cells, stomata and appendages such as root hairs and trichomes, usually with a cuticle. It protects the plant, checks water loss, and (through stomata) controls transpiration and gaseous exchange, while root hairs absorb water and minerals. The ground (fundamental) tissue system includes all tissues except epidermis and vascular bundles — parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma forming cortex, pericycle, pith, medullary rays and mesophyll. It performs photosynthesis (mesophyll), storage, mechanical support and forms the bulk of the plant body. The vascular (conducting) tissue system consists of xylem and phloem forming vascular bundles; xylem conducts water and minerals upward and gives support, while phloem translocates food. Together these systems coordinate protection, support, nutrition and transport.

Q3. Explain the anatomical differences between an isobilateral (monocot) leaf and a dorsiventral (dicot) leaf.

ANSWERBoth leaves have epidermis, mesophyll and a vascular system, but they differ in several ways. In a dorsiventral (dicot) leaf the abaxial (lower) epidermis bears more stomata than the adaxial (upper) epidermis, the mesophyll is differentiated into adaxial palisade parenchyma (elongated, vertical cells) and abaxial spongy parenchyma (loose cells with air spaces), and the veins (reticulate venation) vary in thickness, so the vascular bundles differ in size. In an isobilateral (monocot) leaf the stomata occur on both surfaces in roughly equal numbers, the mesophyll is not differentiated into palisade and spongy layers (it is uniform), and the parallel venation gives vascular bundles of nearly similar size (except the main veins). Additionally, the adaxial epidermis of grass leaves bears bulliform cells that help the leaf curl under water stress — a feature absent in the typical dicot leaf.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. The study of the internal structure of plants is called:

(a) morphology    (b) anatomy    (c) physiology    (d) taxonomy

2. In grasses, the guard cells of stomata are:

(a) bean-shaped    (b) dumb-bell shaped    (c) spherical    (d) barrel-shaped

3. Casparian strips are made up of:

(a) lignin    (b) cutin    (c) suberin    (d) cellulose

4. Scattered vascular bundles surrounded by a sclerenchymatous bundle sheath are characteristic of a:

(a) dicot stem    (b) monocot stem    (c) dicot root    (d) dorsiventral leaf

5. Vascular bundles with cambium that can form secondary tissue are called:

(a) closed    (b) radial    (c) open    (d) concentric

6. The xylem bundles in a monocot root are usually:

(a) two to four    (b) more than six (polyarch)    (c) exactly one    (d) absent

7. Bulliform cells are found in the leaves of:

(a) dicots    (b) grasses (monocots)    (c) ferns    (d) gymnosperms

8. The mesophyll of a dorsiventral leaf is differentiated into:

(a) cortex and pith    (b) palisade and spongy parenchyma    (c) xylem and phloem    (d) epidermis and cuticle

9. The innermost layer of the cortex in a root is the:

(a) pericycle    (b) endodermis    (c) epiblema    (d) pith

10. In a dicot stem, the vascular bundles are arranged in:

(a) a ring    (b) a scattered manner    (c) radial patches    (d) a single bundle

Answer key: 1-(b), 2-(b), 3-(c), 4-(b), 5-(c), 6-(b), 7-(b), 8-(b), 9-(b), 10-(a).

For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.

A-R 1. Assertion: The cuticle is absent in roots.

Reason: Roots must absorb water and minerals from the soil, which a water-proof cuticle would hinder.

A-R 2. Assertion: Monocot stems do not undergo secondary growth.

Reason: The vascular bundles of monocot stems are closed and lack cambium.

A-R 3. Assertion: Guard cells regulate the opening and closing of stomata.

Reason: Guard cells lack chloroplasts and cannot change their turgor.

A-R 4. Assertion: The vascular bundles of a root are radial.

Reason: In the root, xylem and phloem are arranged in an alternate manner along different radii.

A-R 5. Assertion: The abaxial epidermis of a dorsiventral leaf generally bears more stomata than the adaxial epidermis.

Reason: In a dorsiventral leaf the mesophyll is undifferentiated and identical on both surfaces.

Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(A), 3-(C), 4-(A), 5-(B).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Watch out for these

  • Confusing radial (root) with conjoint (stem/leaf) vascular bundles — remember xylem and phloem alternate in roots but share a radius in stems.
  • Mixing up open (cambium present, dicot) and closed (no cambium, monocot) bundles.
  • Saying a dicot stem has scattered bundles — it has them in a ring; the monocot stem has scattered bundles.
  • Writing that casparian strips are made of lignin — they are made of suberin.
  • Forgetting that in a dicot stem the hypodermis is collenchymatous but in a monocot stem it is sclerenchymatous.
  • Stating that an isobilateral leaf has palisade and spongy mesophyll — its mesophyll is undifferentiated.

Exam tips to score full marks

This chapter is best answered with labelled diagrams and comparison tables. For any “draw” question, always add neat, labelled T.S. diagrams — markers award marks for correct labels (epidermis, cortex, endodermis, pericycle, xylem, phloem, pith). For identification questions, quote the diagnostic feature (ring vs scattered bundles, open vs closed, polyarch vs diarch). Use exact NCERT terms — epiblema, casparian strips, conjunctive tissue, bundle sheath, bulliform cells — to show you have read the chapter, and keep your answers structured point-by-point.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Class 11 Biology Chapter 6 about?

Chapter 6, Anatomy of Flowering Plants, deals with the internal structure of angiosperms — the three tissue systems (epidermal, ground and vascular), the structure of stomata and trichomes, and the transverse-section anatomy of dicot and monocot roots, stems and leaves, including how monocots and dicots differ internally.

How many exercise questions are there in Chapter 6?

There are 7 exercise questions. All of them are reproduced verbatim and solved in exam-ready prose on this page, with comparison tables and descriptions of the labelled diagrams you should draw.

What is the stomatal apparatus?

The stomatal apparatus is the stomatal pore together with its two guard cells and the surrounding subsidiary cells. The guard cells have thin outer and thick inner walls and contain chloroplasts, which let them open and close the pore to control transpiration and gaseous exchange.

Are these Class 11 Biology Chapter 6 solutions free?

Yes. All solutions are free and follow the official NCERT Biology textbook for the session 2026–27.

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