Anatomy of Leaves — NEET Biology MCQs with Solutions
Free NEET Biology Anatomy of Leaves MCQs with step-by-step solutions (36 questions). Part of Anatomy of Flowering Plants. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.
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Questions with solutions
Q1 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · theory
A dorsiventral (dicot) leaf has its mesophyll differentiated into:
A. Palisade parenchyma (upper) and spongy parenchyma (lower) ✓ Correct
B. Sclerenchyma
C. Only spongy parenchyma
D. Only palisade parenchyma
Solution: Dorsiventral leaves have an upper palisade and lower spongy mesophyll; isobilateral leaves have undifferentiated mesophyll.
Q2 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · theory
The chloroplast-rich, elongated cells packed just below the upper epidermis of a dicot leaf are the:
A. Spongy parenchyma
B. Guard cells
C. Bundle sheath
D. Palisade parenchyma ✓ Correct
Solution: Palisade cells are the main photosynthetic tissue, densely packed with chloroplasts near the upper surface.
Q3 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
An isobilateral (monocot) leaf differs from a dorsiventral leaf in that:
A. Stomata are equally distributed on both surfaces and mesophyll is not differentiated ✓ Correct
B. It has no stomata
C. It has scattered bundles like a stem
D. Palisade is only on the lower side
Solution: Isobilateral leaves have similar surfaces, stomata on both, and undifferentiated mesophyll; grasses also have bulliform cells.
Q4 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
The large, empty, thin-walled cells in a grass leaf epidermis that help in rolling/unrolling the leaf are:
A. Palisade cells
B. Companion cells
C. Guard cells
D. Bulliform cells ✓ Correct
Solution: Bulliform (motor) cells lose turgor in drought, rolling the leaf to reduce water loss.
Q5 — Anatomy of Leaves · hard · theory
In C4 plants (e.g. maize), the leaf shows Kranz anatomy, in which the bundle sheath cells are:
A. Large, thick-walled, chloroplast-rich, arranged in a wreath around the vascular bundle ✓ Correct
B. Photosynthetically inactive
C. Devoid of chloroplasts
D. Absent
Solution: Kranz ("wreath") anatomy features prominent, chloroplast-rich bundle sheath cells that concentrate CO₂ for the Calvin cycle.
Q6 — Anatomy of Leaves · hard · theory
Which feature is used to distinguish a leaf transverse section from a young stem section?
A. Presence of a pith
B. Presence of mesophyll with chloroplasts and stomata-bearing epidermis on the (dorsiventral) leaf ✓ Correct
C. Endodermis with Casparian strip
D. Radial vascular bundles
Solution: Leaves show mesophyll (palisade/spongy), abundant chloroplasts and stomata; the bundles are collateral with xylem toward the upper (adaxial) side.
Q7 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · numerical
In a dorsiventral (dicot) leaf the stomata are usually more numerous on which surface?
A. Upper (adaxial) surface
B. Equal on both surfaces
C. Lower (abaxial) surface ✓ Correct
D. Only on the veins
Solution: A dorsiventral leaf normally has more stomata on the lower surface, reducing water loss, whereas an isobilateral (monocot) leaf tends to have roughly equal numbers on both surfaces.
Q8 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · numerical
The loosely arranged, irregularly shaped chloroplast-containing cells with large air spaces in the lower part of a dicot leaf mesophyll form the:
A. Spongy parenchyma ✓ Correct
B. Palisade parenchyma
C. Bundle sheath
D. Bulliform cells
Solution: The lower mesophyll of a dorsiventral leaf is spongy parenchyma — loosely packed with air spaces aiding gaseous exchange; the upper mesophyll is the compact palisade.
Q9 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · numerical
In a monocot (isobilateral) leaf such as grass, which type of mesophyll differentiation is characteristically ABSENT?
A. Chloroplast-containing cells
B. Vascular bundles
C. Palisade and spongy differentiation ✓ Correct
D. Bundle sheath cells
Solution: An isobilateral leaf shows no distinction into palisade and spongy layers; the mesophyll is uniform. Chloroplasts, vascular bundles and bundle sheaths are all still present.
Q10 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · numerical
The guard cells enclosing the stomata differ in shape between the two groups. In a monocot leaf the guard cells are typically:
A. Bean or kidney shaped
B. Elongated and rectangular
C. Spherical
D. Dumb-bell shaped ✓ Correct
Solution: Monocot (grass) guard cells are dumb-bell shaped, while dicot guard cells are bean- or kidney-shaped; both open and close the stomatal pore.
Q11 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · numerical
In the Kranz anatomy of a C4 leaf, the bundle sheath cells and the mesophyll cells show a division of labour. Which statement is correct?
A. Mesophyll cells fix CO₂ using PEP carboxylase; bundle sheath cells run the Calvin cycle ✓ Correct
B. Bundle sheath cells lack chloroplasts entirely
C. Both cell types run the complete Calvin cycle independently
D. Bundle sheath cells fix CO₂ using PEP carboxylase; mesophyll cells run the Calvin cycle
Solution: In C4 Kranz anatomy the mesophyll cells first fix CO₂ via PEP carboxylase, then the C4 acid is transported to the large, thick-walled bundle sheath cells where the Calvin cycle operates.
Q12 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · numerical
Assertion (A): The large, thin-walled, empty cells present in the upper epidermis of a grass leaf help the leaf curl inward during water stress. Reason (R): These bulliform cells lose turgor when water is scarce, folding the leaf and reducing transpiration. Choose the correct option:
A. A is true but R is false
B. A is false but R is true
C. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
D. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A ✓ Correct
Solution: Bulliform cells become flaccid on losing water, causing the isobilateral leaf to roll inward and cut down transpiration; when turgid they unroll the leaf. R correctly explains A.
Q13 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · numerical
Which of the following features distinguishes the bundle sheath of a C4 (Kranz) leaf from that of an ordinary C3 leaf?
A. C4 bundle sheath is replaced by sclerenchyma
B. C4 bundle sheath cells have thin walls and no plasmodesmata
C. C4 bundle sheath cells are small and lack chloroplasts
D. C4 bundle sheath cells are large, thick-walled and have many chloroplasts ✓ Correct
Solution: The defining Kranz feature is a wreath of large, thick-walled bundle sheath cells packed with chloroplasts around the vascular bundle, where the Calvin cycle occurs; ordinary C3 sheath cells are less specialised.
Q14 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · numerical
Consider these statements about a dorsiventral leaf: (i) palisade cells lie toward the upper epidermis (ii) spongy cells lie toward the lower epidermis (iii) both epidermal layers bear an equal number of stomata (iv) vascular bundles are surrounded by a bundle sheath. Which are correct?
A. (i), (ii) and (iii) only
B. (ii) and (iii) only
C. (i), (ii) and (iv) only ✓ Correct
D. All four statements
Solution: In a dorsiventral leaf palisade lies above and spongy below, and vascular bundles have a bundle sheath. Stomata are usually MORE on the lower surface, not equal, so (iii) is wrong.
Q15 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · numerical
Which one of the following correctly describes the vascular bundles seen in the veins of a leaf?
A. Conjoint, collateral and closed, with xylem toward the upper side ✓ Correct
B. Conjoint, with xylem toward the lower side
C. Radial, with xylem and phloem on separate radii
D. Concentric, with phloem surrounding xylem
Solution: Leaf vascular bundles are conjoint, collateral and closed; because a leaf is a lateral organ, the xylem lies toward the upper (adaxial) surface and phloem toward the lower surface.
Q16 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · numerical
A microscope slide labelled only "transverse section of a grass leaf" can be confirmed as isobilateral rather than dorsiventral chiefly because it shows:
A. Uniform mesophyll with no palisade layer and stomata on both surfaces ✓ Correct
B. A clear palisade layer above and spongy layer below
C. Exarch xylem in the veins
D. Vascular bundles arranged in a ring
Solution: An isobilateral (monocot) leaf has undifferentiated mesophyll (no separate palisade and spongy zones) and roughly equal stomata on both surfaces — features that separate it from a dorsiventral dicot leaf.
Q17 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · theory
Bulliform cells are -
A. Eukaryotic cells of stem
B. Ball like parenchymatous cells of root
C. Prokaryotic cells
D. Empty colourless epidermal cells of leaf ✓ Correct
Solution: Bulliform (motor) cells are large, empty, colourless epidermal cells of grass leaves that aid in rolling of the leaf.
Q18 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
In respect of many grasses, the presence of bulliform or motor cells in the upper epidermis of leaves is to -
A. Increase the surface area of the leaf
B. Check transpiration by reducing the surface area of the leaf ✓ Correct
C. Store large amount of water
D. Bear unicellular trichomes
Solution: On water loss bulliform cells become flaccid, rolling the leaf inward to reduce exposed surface area and check transpiration.
Q19 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
Palisade parenchyma is absent in leaves of -
A. Soybean
B. Gram
C. Mustard
D. Sorghum ✓ Correct
Solution: Sorghum is a monocot with an isobilateral leaf lacking distinct palisade parenchyma; the others are dorsiventral dicot leaves.
Q20 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · theory
In land plants, the guard cells differ from other epidermal cells in having -
A. Chloroplasts ✓ Correct
B. Cytoskeleton
C. Endoplasmic reticulum
D. Mitochondria
Solution: Unlike ordinary epidermal cells, guard cells contain chloroplasts, enabling turgor changes that open and close stomata.
Q21 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · theory
Stomata in grass leaf are
A. Barrel shaped
B. Rectangular
C. Dumb-bell shaped ✓ Correct
D. Kidney shaped
Solution: In grasses the guard cells are dumb-bell shaped, unlike the kidney-shaped guard cells of dicots.
Q22 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
Grass leaves curl inwards during very dry weather. Select the most appropriate reason from the following -
A. Tyloses in vessels
B. Shrinkage of air spaces in spongy mesophyll
C. Flaccidity of bulliform cells ✓ Correct
D. Closure of stomata
Solution: In dry conditions bulliform cells lose turgor (become flaccid), causing the grass leaf to roll/curl inward.
Q23 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · theory
Large, empty colourless cells of the adaxial epidermis along the veins of grass leaves are
A. Guard cells
B. Lenticels
C. Bundle sheath cells
D. Bulliform cells ✓ Correct
Solution: In grasses, large empty colourless bulliform cells of the adaxial epidermis help roll/unroll the leaf to reduce water loss.
Q24 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
The position of protoxylem in leaf is :-
A. Surrounded by metaxylem
B. Abaxial
C. Lateral
D. Adaxial ✓ Correct
Solution: In leaf vascular bundles the xylem lies towards the upper (adaxial) side, so protoxylem is adaxial.
Q25 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
In a dorsiventral leaf phloem is found on which side:
A. Lateral
B. Abaxial ✓ Correct
C. Adaxial and Abaxial both
D. Adaxial
Solution: In the vascular bundle of a dorsiventral leaf, phloem lies towards the lower (abaxial) surface.
Q26 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · theory
The leaves having equal stomata on both the surfaces are called as:
A. Epistomatic
B. Hypostomatic
C. Amphistomatic ✓ Correct
D. Astomatic
Solution: Amphistomatic leaves bear stomata equally on both the upper and lower surfaces.
Q27 — Anatomy of Leaves · easy · theory
Mesophyll is differentiated into spongy & palisade tissue in:
A. Isobilateral leaf
B. Equifacial leaf
C. Dorsiventral leaf ✓ Correct
D. Both
Solution: In dorsiventral (dicot) leaves the mesophyll is differentiated into adaxial palisade and abaxial spongy parenchyma.
Q28 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
_____ are the cells of Grass leaves which help in minimising transpiration.
A. Guard cells
B. Bulliform cells ✓ Correct
C. Subsidiary cells
D. Endodermal cells
Solution: Bulliform cells lose turgor and roll the grass leaf inward, reducing the exposed surface and minimising water loss.
Q29 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
In a vertical section of a dorsiventral leaf, the protoxylem in its midrib bundle
A. faces the ventral epidermis of the leaf ✓ Correct
B. faces the dorsal epidermis of the leaf
C. is not distinct
D. is surrounded by metaxylem
Solution: The endarch protoxylem lies towards the upper (ventral/adaxial) epidermis in the leaf's midrib vascular bundle.
Q30 — Anatomy of Leaves · medium · theory
Palisade parenchyma is absent in leaves of (Section II)
A. Gram
B. Sorghum ✓ Correct
C. Mustard
D. Soyabean
Solution: Sorghum is a monocot with an isobilateral leaf whose mesophyll is not differentiated into palisade and spongy tissue.