Question

Write the major function of pith and also describe the process of tissue arrangement.

Answer 1

Hint: The pith is the spongy tissue that is white in color and lining the covering of orange, lemon, and other citrus fruits. Pith is also called medulla which is a tissue in the stem of vascular plants.

Complete Answer step-by-step answer:
Pith is made up of soft and spongy parenchyma cells which helps to store and transport the nutrients and minerals throughout the plant. Pith is located at the center of the stem and in the case of monocotyledons it also extends into the flowering stem and root. When the new pith grows it is mostly white in color and after some time or ages, the tissue becomes dark or deep brown in color. The pith of the palm is very toxic to animals in its fresh form but in the case of humans, it is a very important food. Pith wood is a cleaning material in the watch industry to clean the parts of the watch.
The tissue is a cellular organizational level in between the cells and a complete organ. The vascular tissue is the complex tissue that is present in vascular plants. The cells in the vascular tissues are longitudinally arranged as their main function is the conduction of water and minerals. The parenchyma forms the major component within the organs. They may be spherical, oval, round and elongated in shape and mostly isodiametric. The collenchymatous cells may be oval, polygonal, and often contain chloroplast. The sclerenchyma consists of long, narrow cells with thick and lignified cell walls and has numerous pith.

Note: Pith is an essential part of citrus fruits. These tissues are basically used to fill the gaps between the other tissues and found amply in plants. Pith also has many commercial purposes and uses.