MP Board · Class 9 · Science · TissuesHow do simple permanent tissues differ from each other? Differentiate between parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma on the basis of their cell wall structure, living status, and primary function.

Simple permanent tissues in plants are composed of a single type of cell performing a common function. The three main types are Parenchyma, Collenchyma, and Sclerenchyma, differentiated as follows:

1. Parenchyma: Composed of unspecialized living cells with thin cell walls made of cellulose. They have large intercellular spaces and primarily serve functions like storage of food, photosynthesis (chlorenchyma), and buoyancy in aquatic plants (aerenchyma).
2. Collenchyma: Consists of living cells with irregularly thickened cell walls at the corners due to deposition of cellulose and pectin. They have very little intercellular space. They provide mechanical support, flexibility, and elasticity to growing plant organs like tendrils and stems.
3. Sclerenchyma: Made up of dead cells with uniformly thick walls heavily deposited with lignin. Intercellular spaces are absent. They make plant parts hard and stiff, providing structural strength, such as in the husk of coconut and seed coats.