In a bulb, what is the outer protective layer called?

In a bulb, what is the outer protective layer called?

• A. Cortex
• B. Epidermis
• C. Periderm
• D. Tunic

Answer: (D)

In bulbs, the outer protective layer is called the tunic. This papery, dry skin encases the bulb’s scales and shields them as the plant grows and stores energy. While the epidermis is the outer protective layer in many plant organs, the bulb’s surface is specifically described as a tunic, a specialized covering. The cortex lies beneath the epidermis as storage tissue, and periderm is the corky protective tissue found in woody stems—not what forms the bulb’s outermost layer. So the tunic is the correct term for the bulb’s outer protective layer.

In bulbs, the outer protective layer is called the tunic. This papery, dry skin encases the bulb’s scales and shields them as the plant grows and stores energy. While the epidermis is the outer protective layer in many plant organs, the bulb’s surface is specifically described as a tunic, a specialized covering. The cortex lies beneath the epidermis as storage tissue, and periderm is the corky protective tissue found in woody stems—not what forms the bulb’s outermost layer. So the tunic is the correct term for the bulb’s outer protective layer.