The permanent plant tissue responsible for making a plant hard and stiff is Sclerenchyma.
Why Sclerenchyma?
Sclerenchyma tissue consists of cells with highly thickened, lignified secondary walls. Lignin is a complex polymer that makes cell walls rigid and impermeable.
These strong, rigid cells provide significant mechanical support, contributing to the hardness and stiffness of plant parts like stems, seed coats, and nutshells.
Mature sclerenchyma cells are often dead, offering structural support without metabolic demands.
Other Tissue Functions:
Collenchyma provides flexible support, mainly to growing stems and leaves, due to unevenly thickened primary walls.
Parenchyma is involved in photosynthesis, storage, and secretion, having thin primary walls.
Aerenchyma is a specialized parenchyma that facilitates aeration in aquatic plants.
Therefore, sclerenchyma is the specific tissue that imparts hardness and stiffness.
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