Aerenchyma

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/aerenchyma

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the tissue origin?Modified parenchyma, formed via schizogeny or lysigeny
2. What is the structural feature?Characterized by large intercellular air spaces (lacunae)
3. How do plants make aerenchyma?Plants make aerenchyma by letting some cells split apart or die and break down, leaving empty spaces that become air channels.
4. Why do plants need aerenchyma in wet places?In water‑logged soil, there is little oxygen, so aerenchyma lets oxygen from the air travel down to the roots so the plant can keep breathing.

Schizogeny: Formation of intercellular spaces by the separation of cells.
Lysigeny: Formation of intercellular spaces by the breakdown or lysis of cells.
Hypoxia: A condition of significantly reduced oxygen availability, particularly in soil or water.
Convergent Evolution: The independent evolution of similar features in different species.