What is Chlorenchyma

Answer: Chlorenchyma is a specialised type of Parenchyma cells found in plants. It is responsible for storing chlorophyll. This chlorophyll is later used in photosynthesis and preparing starch. 

Features of Chlorenchyma

• Chlorenchyma tissue is present in only plants and is green in colour due to the storage of green coloured pigment called chlorophyll
• It is made up of thin-walled cells that can help in cell division
• Chlorenchyma tissues are found in abundance in the mesophyll of leaves and sometimes in the plant’s stem
• The main difference between chlorenchyma and other parenchyma tissues is that chlorenchyma has living cells. But the other parenchyma tissues have primarily dead cells
• Chlorenchyma tissues can store a lot of chlorophyll because they are rich in chlorophyll-containing plastids called chloroplasts
• Unlike collenchyma, chlorenchyma does not have additional cell wall thickening but a lot of spaces in between

Composition of Chlorenchyma

The chlorenchyma tissues are arranged in rows, and their shape is usually isodiametric. It is composed of fatty acids and lipids that help in the metabolism of chloroplasts (present in Chlorenchyma) during photosynthesis.  

Main Ffunctions of Chlorenchyma Tissue

• The primary function of these tissues is to support the plant during photosynthesis
• Another essential function of these tissues is to help the plant in repair
• The exchange of gases also takes place in these tissues
• These tissues perform the normal function of a parenchyma tissue (i.e. to fill abundant space) and perform additional functions and help the plant make its food