NEETBotanyPlant Kingdom
Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): The presence of vessels is a characteristic feature of angiosperms. Reason (R): Gymnosperms lack vessels in their xylem and companion cells in their phloem. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Options
- ABoth (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
- BBoth (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
- C(A) is true but (R) is false.
- D(A) is false but (R) is true.
Correct answer
A. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
Step-by-step solution
The presence of vessels in the xylem is indeed a characteristic feature of angiosperms, making the Assertion true. Gymnosperms lack vessels in their xylem and lack companion cells in their phloem, possessing albuminous cells instead. Thus, the Reason is also a true statement. However, the fact that gymnosperms lack these structures is merely a parallel taxonomic fact and does not logically explain why vessels are considered a defining characteristic of angiosperms. Therefore, both statements are true, but the Reaso