LIFE SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Answer and Explanation: The cuticle helps plants retain water, so the answer is c. The cuticle is a protective film made of lipid and waxy hydrocarbon polymers. It covers the epidermis of leaves, developing shoots, and the other parts of the plant above ground that does not have a periderm or bark.

Detailed explanation-2: -Species with thick cuticles primarily use them as a barrier against water losses, while species with thin cuticles mainly use pseudobulbs for storing sufficient water to buffer rapid water losses from the leaves.

Detailed explanation-3: -A cuticle is a coating made of many layers of different biological materials. These materials are mostly hydrophobic. Hydrophobic materials repel water. The main function of the waxy cuticle is to prevent water movement into or out of the leaf.