Sclerenchyma Fibers (Plant Rope Cells)

Long, thin, and tough

Fibers are very long, skinny cells with pointy ends. They have super-thick walls made stiff by a tough material called lignin.

When a fiber is done growing, the living part inside dies. What is left is a strong, hollow tube, like a drinking straw with very thick walls.

Fibers grow in bundles. Some are in the wood with the water pipes. Others, called bast fibers, grow outside the wood, in the stems of plants like flax, hemp, and jute.

Holding the plant up

Fibers work like ropes and beams inside the plant. They help tall stems stand up straight and stop leaves from tearing in the wind.

People have used plant fibers for thousands of years:

• Linen cloth is made from flax fibers.
• Burlap sacks are made from jute.
• Strong rope can be made from hemp.

Plant fiber quiz