For someone who is an anatomist, this has been an interesting discussion.
Obviously no one knows why sclereids (note spelling) exist in pears or
apples. In A.S. Foster's 1942 "Practical Plant Anatomy" he states, "But in
many organs, the functional significance, if any, of the sclereids is
problematical (translated: we don't have a clue), as for example in the case
of the 'nests' of brachysclerieds in the fleshy portions of pear flesh. It
has been suggested that phlylogenetically they may (translated: we don't
have a clue) represent the remains of a former continuous shell of stone
cells."
Where is the educational value in this? If a student is asking this
excellent question for which we have no answer, we tell them we have no
answer, and then we challenge the student to think of ways in which the
answer might (translated: might not) be found. We would hope that the
student might be able to come up with Foster's speculation, and then even
better, "I should look at the relatives and ancestors of today's pears and
see if the sclereids exist there, and if they are more or less abundant than
in the pear. Is the location and distribution the same? "
Sounds like a senior thesis to me!
James W. Perry
CEO/Campus Dean
UW-Fox Valley
1478 Midway Road
Menasha, WI 54952-1297
920.832-2610 (voice)
920.832-2674 (fax)
www.uwfox.uwc.edu
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