Which one of the following is not a characteristic of plant cells in the phase of elongation ?

The elongation phase of plant cell growth is marked by rapid increase in cell length.

Typical characteristics of this phase include:

• Increased vacuolation – the central vacuole expands dramatically, occupying most of the cell’s interior and driving cell stretching.

��� Cell enlargement – the cell becomes markedly longer while maintaining its overall shape.

• New cell‑wall deposition – additional wall material is laid down to support the expanding cell surface.

In contrast, the nucleus does **not** become large or conspicuous during elongation. The nuclear size remains relatively modest compared with the expanding vacuole���filled cytoplasm, because growth is driven by vacuolar expansion and wall synthesis rather than nuclear enlargement.

Hence, the option that is **not** a characteristic of plant cells in the elongation phase is “Large conspicuous nuclei”.