🔬 CBSE · Class 9 · Science · Chapter 6

Chapter 6
Tissues

Complete chapter resources for CBSE Class 9 Science — plant and animal tissue types, meristematic vs permanent tissue, nervous system tissue, sample questions, previous year board questions, and instant AI question paper generation.

3Topics
4–6Board marks
8Sample questions
3PYQ included

Free for independent teachers · No credit card required

Key Concepts — Chapter 6
  • Tissue: Group of cells similar in structure & function
  • Plant tissues: Meristematic (dividing) + Permanent (non-dividing)
  • Simple permanent: Parenchyma · Collenchyma · Sclerenchyma
  • Complex permanent: Xylem (water) · Phloem (food)
  • Animal tissues: Epithelial · Connective · Muscular · Nervous
  • Neuron: Cell body + Dendrites + Axon + Nerve endings

What this chapter covers

A tissue is a group of cells that are similar in structure and work together to perform a specific function. Chapter 6 of NCERT Class 9 Science introduces students to the two major categories of tissues: plant tissues and animal tissues. Understanding tissues is foundational to biology — it bridges the study of single cells (Chapter 5) to whole organs and organ systems (Class 10 Life Processes).

Plant tissues are broadly divided into meristematic tissue (actively dividing, found at the tips of roots and shoots) and permanent tissue (cells that have lost the ability to divide). Permanent tissue is further classified into simple permanent tissues — parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma — and complex permanent tissues such as xylem (which conducts water and minerals) and phloem (which transports food made during photosynthesis).

Animal tissues are categorised into four types: epithelial tissue (covers body surfaces and lines organs), connective tissue (binds and supports — includes blood, bone, cartilage, and adipose), muscular tissue (enables movement — striated, smooth, and cardiac), and nervous tissue (transmits electrical impulses via specialised cells called neurons). Board questions frequently include labeled diagrams of plant tissue cross-sections and the structure of a neuron.

What's inside Chapter 6

As per NCERT Class 9 Science (CBSE syllabus)

Topic 1
Plant Tissues — Meristematic & Permanent
Meristematic tissue: apical, intercalary, and lateral types; characteristics of meristematic cells. Permanent tissue: simple (parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma) and complex (xylem, phloem); location and function of each.
Topic 2
Animal Tissues — Epithelial & Connective
Epithelial tissue: squamous, cuboidal, columnar, ciliated, and glandular types; locations and protective/secretory roles. Connective tissue: blood, bone, cartilage, ligament, tendon, and adipose — structure and binding/support functions.
Topic 3
Muscular & Nervous Tissue
Muscular tissue: striated (voluntary/skeletal), smooth (involuntary/visceral), and cardiac muscle — differences in structure and control. Nervous tissue: structure of a neuron (cell body, dendrites, axon, myelin sheath, nerve endings); impulse transmission.

How this chapter fits in

Useful for setting question difficulty and cross-chapter papers.

Builds on
Ch 5 · The Fundamental Unit of Life
Cell structure, organelles, and cell division (mitosis)
Ch 7 · Diversity in Living Organisms
Classification of organisms and their structural complexity
Chapter 6 Tissues
Leads to
Class 10 · Life Processes
Organs and organ systems built from the same tissue types
Class 11 · Anatomy of Flowering Plants
Detailed plant anatomy — permanent tissue organisation in stems and roots

Marks & question-type breakdown

Typical pattern based on CBSE Class 9 Science board and school papers from the last five years.

Question type Marks Typical count What's usually tested
MCQ / Objective 1 1–2 Identify tissue type, location, or matching function
Very Short Answer 1 1 Define tissue, name a tissue type, or one-line difference
Short Answer 3 1 Differences between two tissue types or labeled diagram
Long Answer / Diagram 5 1 Draw and label neuron or plant tissue cross-section; classify with examples
Total (approximate) 4–6 3–5 Weightage varies across paper sets and years

8 sample questions — generated by MarksZen AI

Aligned to CBSE Class 9 Science Chapter 6. Covers all question types across Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty.

Q1 Easy 1 mark MCQ
Which of the following is a complex permanent tissue? (a) Parenchyma (b) Collenchyma (c) Xylem (d) Sclerenchyma
Q2 Easy 1 mark Short Answer
Name the tissue responsible for the conduction of food from leaves to other parts of the plant.
Q3 Medium 2 marks Short Answer
Differentiate between meristematic tissue and permanent tissue. Give one example of each.
Q4 Medium 2 marks Short Answer
State two structural differences between striated (skeletal) muscle and smooth muscle.
Q5 Medium 3 marks Short Answer
Name the three types of simple permanent plant tissue. State the location and one function of each.
Q6 Hard 4 marks Short Answer
Compare the four types of animal tissue by filling in the following: tissue name, one structural feature, one location in the human body, and one function. Present your answer as a table.
Q7 Hard 5 marks Diagram-based
Draw a labeled diagram of a neuron. Label: cell body (cyton), nucleus, dendrites, axon, myelin sheath, nodes of Ranvier, and nerve endings. State the function of each labeled part.
Q8 Hard 5 marks Long Answer
Describe the types of meristematic tissue based on their location in the plant. How does meristematic tissue differ from permanent tissue in terms of: (i) ability to divide, (ii) cell wall thickness, (iii) presence of vacuoles, and (iv) role in plant growth?
Generate a full paper with answer key →

MarksZen AI creates a complete question paper with answer key in under 2 minutes.

From CBSE board examinations

Actual questions from past Class 9 Science board and school papers — Tissues chapter.

Board 20223 marks
Differentiate between sclerenchyma and collenchyma on the basis of: (i) cell wall composition, (ii) presence of living protoplasm, and (iii) function. (CBSE 2022)
Board 20235 marks
Draw a well-labeled diagram of a neuron and explain how a nerve impulse travels from one neuron to another. Name the type of tissue to which a neuron belongs. (CBSE 2023)
Board 20203 marks
Name the components of xylem tissue. State the function of each component. Why is xylem classified as a complex tissue? (CBSE 2020)

Create a board-aligned
question paper in 2 minutes.

Pick chapter, set the question-type mix and total marks — MarksZen AI generates the full paper with answer key. CBSE, ICSE, and all State Boards supported.

  • All 3 topics of this chapter
  • MCQ + short answer + diagram questions
  • Answer key included
  • PDF export ready
Sign Up Free & Generate →

Questions teachers ask

How many marks does the Tissues chapter carry in the CBSE Class 9 Science exam? +
Tissues typically carries 4–6 marks in CBSE Class 9 Science board and school exams. Expect 1 MCQ (1 mark), one very short answer (1 mark), and one short or long answer worth 3–5 marks. The chapter appears consistently in annual and half-yearly assessments as part of the Biology unit.
What is the difference between meristematic and permanent tissue? +
Meristematic tissue consists of actively dividing cells found at growing tips (apical), nodes (intercalary), and sides (lateral) of a plant. The cells are small, thin-walled, and have a dense cytoplasm with no vacuoles. Permanent tissue is derived from meristematic tissue once cells stop dividing; they are differentiated and perform specific functions like photosynthesis (parenchyma), support (collenchyma, sclerenchyma), or conduction (xylem, phloem).
What are the four types of animal tissue and their main functions? +
The four types of animal tissue are: (1) Epithelial tissue — forms the covering or lining of body surfaces and organs; (2) Connective tissue — binds and supports other tissues (includes blood, bone, cartilage, and adipose tissue); (3) Muscular tissue — responsible for movement; (4) Nervous tissue — receives and transmits stimuli via neurons. Board questions most often ask students to name the type and one function.
Which topics in the Tissues chapter are most frequently tested in CBSE board exams? +
The highest-probability board topics are: (1) types and location of meristematic tissue, (2) difference between sclerenchyma and collenchyma, (3) structure and function of xylem and phloem, (4) types of muscle tissue with labeled diagrams, and (5) structure of a neuron. Diagram-based questions on plant tissue cross-sections and neuron structure appear almost every year.
How do I generate a custom question paper for Tissues using MarksZen? +
Sign up for a free MarksZen account, choose CBSE Class 9 Science, select Chapter 6 (Tissues), set your preferred question-type mix and total marks — the AI generates a complete board-aligned paper with answer key in under 2 minutes, ready for PDF export.