How does the cork act as the protective tissues?
- Cork is a several layered thick tissue present on the outer side of the secondary meristem.
- Its cells are dead and compactly arranged without intercellular spaces.
- They have a deposition of a chemical called suberin in their walls which makes them impervious to gases and water.
- This structural characteristic helps the cork tissue to protect and prevent itself from infection and mechanical injury.
- It also prevents desiccation under adverse environmental conditions by preventing loss of water from the plant body.