AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Sclerenchyma are derived from the parenchyma but their cell wall gets lignified and slowly the cells die. Therefore, the sclerenchyma are the non-living ground tissue.

Detailed explanation-2: -The ground tissue is all plant tissues except vascular and dermal tissues.

Detailed explanation-3: -So, the correct answer is ‘Companion cells.

Detailed explanation-4: -In some works, the cells of the leaf epidermis are regarded as specialised parenchymal cells, but the modern preference has long been to classify the epidermis as plant dermal tissue, and parenchyma as ground tissue.

Detailed explanation-5: -Ground tissue includes all tissues except epidermal and vascular tissues.