NEETBotanyCell - The Unit of Life
What is the role of tonoplast in plant cells?
Options
- ATo transport ions and other materials against concentration gradients into the vacuole
- BTo engulf food particles
- CTo store water and other materials
- DTo regulate osmotic pressure
Correct answer
A. To transport ions and other materials against concentration gradients into the vacuole
Step-by-step solution
The vacuole is the membrane-bound space found in the cytoplasm. It contains water, sap, excretory product and other materials not useful for the cell. The vacuole is bound by a single membrane called tonoplast. In plant cells the vacuoles can occupy up to 90 per cent of the volume of the cell. In plants, the tonoplast facilitates the transport of a number of ions and other materials against concentration gradients into the vacuole, hence their concentration is significantly higher in the vacuole than in the cytopla